X1CO 


WONDER-LAND 


I'OKFIKIO    DIAZ, 
President  of  the  Republic  of  Mexico. 


MEXICO 


©ID  anO  IHew 


A  WONDER-LAND 


SULLIVAN   HOLMAN  McCOLLESTER 

AUTHOR  OF  "AFTER-THOUGHTS  OF  FOREIGN  LANDS  AND  CAPITAL  CITIES, 

"  BABYLON  AND  NINEVEH  THROUGH   AMERICAN  EYES,"  AND 

"ROUND  THE  GLOBE  IN  OLD  AND  NEW  PATHS." 


Second  Edition. 


BOSTON : 

UNIVERSALIST  PUBLISHING  HOUSE. 
1899. 


Copyright,  1897, 

BY    S.    H.    MCCOLLESTER. 
All  rights  reserved. 


CONCORD,   N.  B. 
THE    BUMKORD    PKKSS. 


PREFACE. 


If  I  am  so  fortunate  as  to  enable  the  reader  of  the  suc- 
ceeding pages  through  mental  vision  to  see  things  somewhat 
as  I  saw  them,  and  to  learn  the  fact,  as  I  did,  contrary  to  my 
expectation,  that  the  best  blood  of  Mexico  at  the  present  time 
runs  in  Indian  veins,  not  Castilian.  which  has  come  down  from 
the  Aztecs,  Toltecs,  and,  perchance,  from  Egypt  and  Chaldaea, 
I  shall  be  glad  and  amply  remunerated. 

Previous  to  my  recent  wanderings  and  experience  in  the  new 
Republic,  I  had  been  led  to  think  and  fully  believe  from  what  I 
had  read  and  heard  that  the  hope  and  salvation  of  Mexico  was 
in  the  hands  of  those  who  looked  back  to  Spain  as  their 
mother-country ;  but  I  found  the  actual  to  be  far  otherwise. 
The  talent  and  promise  are  confined  almost  exclusively  to  the 
so-called  Indians.  The  term  Indian  has  been  misleading  to 
our  northern  people,  causing  them  to  judge  the  natives  there  to 
be  somewhat  similar  to  the  Blackfoot,  or  Pequoid  of  Oregon, 
yet  far  more  degraded.  From  the  advent  of  Cortez  into  the 
country  they  have  been  pictured  by  the  Spaniards  as  a  most 
barbarous  and  degraded  race,  pests  and  burdens  to  the  land. 
They  were  made  slaves  by  the  Spanish  lords,  and  by  their 
endurance  and  fortitude  they  have  proved  themselves  of  noble 
extraction.  Their  ancestors  achieved  wondrous  works  in  the 
way  of  building  pyramids  on  a  grander  scale  than  any  on  the 


IV  PREFACE. 

banks  of  the  Nile,  and  temples  as  marvelous  as  those  whose 
ruins  are  now  by  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris  rivers.  Their  cities 
were  on  a  magnificent  scale.  The  structures  of  the  Spaniards  in 
the  land  are  not  comparable  to  those  which  they  supplanted. 

Mexico  is  an  ancient  land.  Its  history  can  be  definitely 
traced  to  A.  D.  640,  and  traditionally  much  farther  back, 
perhaps,  far  beyond  the  Christian  era.  My  aim  has  been  to  see 
present  affairs  as  they  exist,  and  be  led  to  understand  past 
things  as  they  actually  were.  The  physical,  mental,  moral,  and 
religious  have  claimed  my  attention,  and  in  judging  of  them,  I 
have  endeavored  to  be  fair  and  just.  Mexico,  ancient  and 
modern,  is  a  marvelous  country. 

The  illustrations  were  taken  by  an  accompanying  friend,  Benj. 
F.  Freeman  of  Somerville,  Mass.,  who  is  a  professional  artist 
and  photographer.  I  know  the  pictures  are  true  to  life. 

My  object  has  not  been  to  make  this  an  exhaustive  work,  but 
simply  sketchy,  cheery,  instructive,  and  helpful  to  mind  and 
heart.  As  it  goes  forth  on  its  mission,  should  it  prove  to  be 
such,  abundant  will  be  the  reward  of  the  Author. 

MAPLESIDE,  MARLBOROUGH,  N.  H., 
1897. 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter.  Page. 

I.  ON  THE  WING  TO  MEXICO         .  .  .  .         i 

II.  WHENCE  CAME  THE  MEXICANS  .  .  14 

III.  FROM  JARAL  TO  TORREON         .  .  .  .21 

IV.  FROM  TORREON  TO  CHIHUAHUA  •  •  •       37 
V.  FROM  TORREON  TO  ZACATECAS  .  .  -51 

VI.  P'ROM  ZACATECAS  TO  AGUAS  CALIENTES    .         .  62 

VII.  FROM  AGUAS  CALIENTES  TO  POTOSI  ...  75 

VIII.  FROM  SAN  Luis  POTOSI  TO  GUANAJUATO  .         .  97 

IX.  FROM  GUANAJUATO  TO  GUADALAJARA         .         .  110 

X.    TULA,    QUERETARO,    AND    ClTY   OF   MEXICO  .       124 

XI.  THE  CITY  OF  MEXICO 141 

XII.  AROUND  THE  CITY  OF  MEXICO  .         .         .         .166 

XIII.  FROM  CITY  OF  MEXICO  TO  PUEBLA  .         .         .188 

XIV.  CHOLULA  AND  TLAXCALA  ....     202 
XV.   FROM  ESPERANZA  TO  THE  STATE  OF  MEXICO  .     225 

XVI.  OBSTACLES  OVERCOME  ~~I~.  -     ....     244 
XVII.  MEXICAN  PROGRESS  .  .  -254 


MEXICO. 

CHAPTER  I. 

ON    THE    WING    TO    MEXICO. 

The  very  word  travel  signifies  not  ease  but  a  deal  of 
travail ;  so  we  found  it  in  reaching  Mexico.  On  leaving 
the  Empire  City  in  February  the  morning  was  crisp  and 
sparkling,  the  mercury  was  dipping  far  below  zero,  the 
runners  and  wheels  in  the  streets  were  creaking,  "  It  is 
cold."  As  more  than  a  hundred  excursionists  rushed 
into  the  warm  and  delightful  Pullman  cars,  how  they 
rejoiced  that  they  were  bound  for  southern  lands 
and  warmer  suns.  As  the  train  reached  the  City 
of  Brotherly  Love,  the  icy  shackles  had  been  loos- 
ened considerably.  Why  not?  No  other  element  in 
God's  economy  works  such  wonders  as  love.  As  the 
iron  steed  took  us  through  the  Monumental  City,  we 
thought  of  the  noble  braves  who  spilt  the  first  blood 
at  the  opening  of  the  Rebellion  to  save  the  Union. 
Arriving  at  the  Federal  City  and  contrasting  it  with  the 
capitals  of  other  countries,  we  realized  that  it  lost  noth- 
ing by  the  comparison.  Truly  it  is  one  of  the  fairest 
cities.  In  no  other  have  so  many  righteous  laws  been 


2          MEXICO  :  THE  WONDER  LAND. 

enacted,  looking  to  the  good  of  the  whole  people  and  the 
welfare  of  all  nations. 

Speeding  through  the  Shenandoah  valley,  the  fact  was 
emphasized  that  here  are  some  of  the  richest  soils  and 
most  beautiful  landscapes,  interspersed  with  valleys, 
plains,  rivers,  forests,  hills,  and  mountains.  During  the 
Civil  War,  in  spots  it  was  drenched  with  blood  and  so 
rendered  forever  memorable,  as  well  as  being  beautiful. 
At  Chattanooga  our  party  was  taken  by  a  powerful  locomo- 
tive to  the  summit  of  Lookout  Mountain,  famous  for  its 
marvelous  prospects  and  its  "battle  above  the  clouds"  ; 
it  is  wrapped  about  at  its  base  with  one  of  the  most 
picturesque,  thrilling,  and  far-reaching  valleys,  including 
the  battlefield  of  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  the 
fascinating  Moccasin  Bend,  and  the  National  Cemetery 
wherein  repose  the  ashes  of  13,000  Union  soldiers. 

Passing  on  through  the  Big  Bend  State,  the  Cotton 
State,  and  the  Bayou  State,  we  witnessed  many  an  inviting 
spot,  stirring  hamlets  and  brisk  cities,  till  at  length  we 
entered  the  Crescent  City,  almost  wholly  enfolded  in  the 
embrace  of  the  father  of  rivers.  It  is  soon  discovered 
that  New  Orleans  is  made  up  of  a  motley  mingling  of 
different  nationalities.  As  you  pass  into  one  quarter, 
you  are  made  to  feel  that  you  are  in  Paris  ;  in  another,  in 
Rome  ;  in  another,  in  Berlin  ;  and  in  another,  in  Nubia. 
No  wonder  Louisiana  should  be  christened  the  Creole 
State,  since  there  is  such  a  mingling  of  diversified  blood 
in  its  inhabitants.  But  New  Orleans  is  a  growing  city 
and  is  bound  to  be  fostered  by  the  Great  River. 


ON    THE    WING    TO    MEXICO.  3 

As  our  cars  were  ferried  across  the  on-rushing  stream, 
I  found  its  waters  as  yellow  as  the  Tiber,  grander  than 
the  Nile,  and  more  burdened  with  crafts  than  the 
Thames.  After  being  landed  on  the  opposite  shore,  our 
course  was  for  some  time  over  extended  flats  and  across 
swampy  land.  Entering  the  Lone  Star  State,  we  were 
soon  among  oaks,  pines,  and  cedars,  tastefully  festooned 
with  drooping  moss.  Now  and  then  ranches  would  be  well 
stocked  with  flocks  of  sheep,  bunches  of  cattle,  and  herds 
of  horses.  Occasionally  we  passed  large  sugar  planta- 
tions, furnished  with  imposing  buildings  and  all  the 
essentials  for  successful  sugar-making.  After  riding  a 
day  and  a  part  of  a  night  reaching  only  the  middle  of 
Texas,  we  began  to  have  some  idea  of  its  vastrtess. 
Our  course  bent  down  to  the  island  city  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  It  is  not  strange  that  it  is  becoming  one  of  the 
most  popular  watering  places,  being  encompassed  by  a 
fine  beach  and  is  never  excessively  hot  or  cold,  but  is 
well  supplied  with  elegant  and  commodious  hotels.  The 
people  are  proud  of  their  city  and  extend  a  cordial 
welcome  to  the  strong  and  weak,  the  sick  and  well,  who 
come  there  to  settle,  or  to  tarry  for  a  while  to  secure 
health,  for  they  are  certain  they  will  be  captivated  with 
their  city. 

Leaving  Galveston  we  were  taken  from  the  gulf  to 
Houston,  worthy  to  have  been  the  capital  of  a  state 
which  is  thirty  times  the  size  of  Massachusetts,  and  by  its 
enterprise  and  industry  does  honor  to  the  hero  whose 
name  it  perpetuates.  Moving  on  westward,  rich,  produc- 


4  MEXICO  :  THE  WONDER  LAND. 

tive  fields  were  to  be  seen  in  all  directions.  The  villages 
and  scattered  buildings  bore  marks  of  a  different  civiliza- 
tion. The  flat  roofs  and  adobe  walls  give  assurance  that 
not  long  since  this  territory  belonged  to  another  govern- 
ment. Traces  are  left  of  haciendas,  those  large  estates 
owned  and  controlled  by  Spanish  lords.  As  rosy-fingered 
morn  turned  back  the  curtains  of  the  East,  our  train 
halted  at  San  Antonio,  a  city  of  unprecedented  historical 
events.  Here  the  Anglo  Saxon  met  the  Spaniard  and 
contested  the  right  to  the  new  continent.  Here  American 
liberty  and  civilization  in  perilous  times  planted  their 
standard  and  held  the  fort,  making  it  possible  for  the 
American  flag  to  float  from  the  Sunrise  State  to  the  Rio 
Grande  river,  and  from  the  Athens  of  America  to  the 
Golden  Gate. 

On  the  morning  of  March  the  6th,  1837,  one  hundred 
and  eighty-one  Texans  found  rendezvous  in  the  church 
and  convent  of  the  Alamo  and  were  pitted  against  five 
thousand  Mexicans.  The  gallant  Travis  was  at  the  head 
of  the  former,  and  the  cunning  Santa  Anna  led  the  latter 
It  was  like  the  three  hundred  at  Thermopylae  against 
the  thousands  of  Persians.  As  the  walls  of  the  Alamo 
gave  way,  shutting  the  Mexicans  within  the  fortification,  it 
was  at  once  piercing  with  the  sword,  stabbing  with  the 
dirk,  and  pummeling  with  the  feet.  There  was  no  quail- 
ing nor  crying  for  mercy  on  the  part  of  the  Texans  as  they 
were  overpowered  and  fell  one  after  another,  till  the  last 
one  died,  striking  for  liberty.  After  all,  it  was  the  few 
that  gained  the  real  victory.  The  Greeks  that  fell  at 


ON    THE    WING    TO    MKXICO.  5 

Thermopylae  still  live,  but  the  Persians  were  long  since 
dead.  Because  of  the  triumph  for  the  right,  the  battle 
cry  of  the  Texans  has  been  ever  since,  "  Remember  the 
Alamo."  This  slaughter  was  as  cruel,  if  not  of  such 
magnitude,  as  the  crucifixion  of  two  thousand  and  the 
putting  to  the  sword  eight  thousand  Tyrians,  because 
they  would  not  yield  Tyre  to  Alexander,  331  B.  C. 

Less  than  four  decades  ago  San  Antonio  was  little 
more  than  a  collection  of  adobe  huts.  Here  the  brassy 
Mexican  and  the  hilarious  cowboy  held  high  carnival. 
Murder,  robbery,  rape,  and  diabolism  were  of  nightly 
occurrence.  The  howl  of  the  coyote  and  the  whoop  of  the 
Comanche  rendered  darkness  hideous.  The  river  that 
pushed  along  through  beds  of  mire  with  a  few  straggling 
bridges  thrown  across  it,  now  runs  on  crystaline,  being 
spanned  with  iron  bridges.  The  narrow,  deep-rutted  roads 
have  given  place  to  broad  and  commodious  streets,  lined 
with  brick  and  stone  buildings,  and  traversed  by  con- 
venient tramways  and  genteel  carriages.  Now  instead 
of  desperadoes  and  drunken  wenches,  gentlemen  and 
ladies  parade  the  public  highways.  Instead  of  the 
wigwam  and  the  mud  hovel,  inviting  residences  are  to  be 
seen  on  every  hand.  What  a  transformation  !  Verily,  the 
wilderness  has  been  made  to  blossom  like  the  rose ! 
Leaving  the  Alamo  City,  the  land  is  rolling;  scarcely 
any  sod  shows  itself.  The  mesquite,  a  species  of  locust 
tree,  is  scattered  about  profusely.  The  soil  looks  arid, 
being  parched  and  burned  by  the  hot  suns.  Scarcely 
any  rain  has  fallen  here  for  six  months,  and  irrigation 


O  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

has  done  but  little  towards  spreading  water  over  the 
surface.  Could  the  land  have  forty  inches,  or  more,  of 
rain  distributed  through  the  year  upon  it,  surely  it  would 
smile  with  luxuriance.  Near  sunset  our  train  halts  at 
Eagle  Pass  on  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Grande.  The  day 
is  bidding  us  adieu  with  splendors.  The  western  sky  is 
burnished  with  silver  and  gold. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  admit  that  Texas  is  a  state  of 
magnificent  possibilities  and  grandest  opportunities.  Its 
climate,  varied  surface,  prolific  soil,  mineral  wealth,  tim- 
bered lands,  numerous  rivers,  rapid  increase  of  population, 
and  growing  enterprise  of  the  people,  promise  marvelous 
things.  It  is  not  a  state  of  the  past  but  of  the  future. 

The  experience  hitherward,  I  trust,  will  prove  a  fitting 
foretaste  of  what  is  to  come.  Ours,  we  know,  is  a  great 
republic  as  to  area,  mental  and  moral  development. 
We  ought  to  be  so  far  along  in  civilization  as  to  be  fair 
and  just  in  judgment  of  other  lands  and  peoples.  We 
should  know  the  significance  of  the  adage,  "  The  fool 
wanders,  the  wise  man  travels."  We  ought  to  be  pre- 
pared to  see  things  as  they  are  in  this  beautiful  world, 
and  so  go  out  of  it  at  length  fitted  to  appreciate  beauty 
in  any  realm.  But  it  is  surprising,  how  many  there  are, 
who  have  eyes  and  see  not.  This  was  the  case  with  the 
aged  French  Abbd  who  was  met  some  years  since  by 
Lyman  Lockyer  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  not  far  to  the 
northwest  of  our  present  position.  The  scientist  was 
somewhat  surprised  to  find  the  Abbd  so  far  away  from 
his  church  and  religious  work.  But  upon  inquiry  the 


ON    THE    WING    TO    MEXICO.  7 

good  priest  informed  him  that  some  months  previous  he 
was  so  sick  that  the  doctors  despaired  of  his  life  ;  and  as 
he  passed  into  a  swoon,  or  partially  unconscious  state,  he 
said,  "  I  fancied  an  angel  came  to  me,  asking,  '  Well, 
Abbd,  and  did  you  like  the  beautiful  world  which  you 
have  just  left  ?'  And  then  it  occurred  to  me  that  I,  who 
had  been  preaching  all  my  life  about  heaven,  had  seen 
almost  nothing  of  the  world  in  which  I  had  been  living ; 
therefore,  I  determined,  Providence  sparing  my  life,  to 
see  something  of  this  world  ;  so  here  I  am." 

Since  but  few  can  follow  the  Abbe*  according  to  the 
letter,  all  can  imitate  him  in  spirit,  and  so  return  to  the 
spirit  land,  early  or  late,  knowing  considerable  of  this 
world,  for  God  has  placed  the  rocks,  the  flowers,  the 
birds  and  stars  all  about  us  as  teachers  of  beauty,  that  it 
might  be  impressed  upon  the  mind  and  dwell  in  the 
depths  of  the  soul. 

Before  twilight  set  in  our  train  was  crossing  the  Rio 
Grande  on  an  iron  bridge.  Only  a  few  years  ago  this 
uncertain  river  could  be  crossed  with  heavy  burdens 
only  on  a  ferry  held  in  place  by  a  rope.  So  it  is  we 
have  ages  of  stone,  and  ages  of  hemp,  and  ages  of  iron. 
The  world  is  always  agog,  but  fortunately  it  is  hurrying 
on  from  lower  to  higher  orders  ;  the  lichen  first,  the  lily 
afterwards. 

This  river  at  midwinter  is  likely  to  be  sluggish,  but  in 
midsummer  it  is  often  flooded  by  rains  and  the  melting 
of  snows  on  the  mountains.  Now  it  is  but  a  few  rods 
across  it,  still  at  high  tide  the  gunter's  chain  needs  to  be 


8 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


applied  many  times  to  measure  its  width.  It  marks  the 
boundary  between  Texas  and  Mexico.  It  rises  in  the 
San  Juan  mountains  near  the  Rio  Grande  pyramids, 
running  east  and  south  eighteen  hundred  miles  to  the 
gulf.  It  is  so  shallow  that  small  steamboats  cannot 
ascend  from  its  mouth  more  than  five  hundred  miles. 


AT  THE  STATION. 

As  we  land  upon  its  south  bank,  it  does  seem  as 
though  we  had  really  alighted  upon  a  new  world.  The 
people  look,  appear,  and  talk  so  strangely.  The  land 
and  buildings  are  unlike  anything  which  we  have  in  the 
states.  As  our  train  halts,  how  the  young  and  old  of  all 
sizes,  shapes,  and  complexions,  rush  towards  the  cars, 
stare,  and  apparently  wonder  whence  the  strangers  have 
come.  The  incoming  of  a  railroad  train,  or  a  steamboat, 


ON    THE    WING    TO    MEXICO. 


does  seem  to  excite  more  or  less  surprise  the  world  over, 
but  here  it  is  rendered  especially  emphatic.  The  cus- 
toms attract  our  attention  at  once,  being  so  odd  and 
diversified.  The  sombrero,  or  hat,  is  prominent  above 
all  else  ;  its  tall,  pointed  crown,  broad  brim,  and  costly 
trimmings,  render  it  of  greatest  importance  to  the 
Mexican.  The  wee  urchins  long  to  become  old  enough 
to  don  the  sombrero.  It  costs  from  one  to  fifty  dollars 
according  to  the  quality.  In  cold  weather  the  men  must 
have  these  hats,  if  they  go  barefoot,  and  otherwise  are 
not  half  clad.  Fashion  is  a  tyrant  among  the  poor  as 
well  as  the  rich. 

It  is  the  cold  season  now  and  the  folk  are  clad  evi- 
dently in  their  warmest  attire  ;  the  men,  who  have  any, 
are  wrapped  about  with  zarapes  and  the  women  with 
rebosos  ;  the  feet  of  many  are  bare,  others  have  on  san- 
dals and  others  shoes.  Their  garments  are  mostly  made 
of  cotton.  The  majority  appear  to  have  good  physiques. 
Their  faces  are  shaded  all  the  way  from  a  light  brunette 
to  a  dark  bronze.  Their  heads  are  of  good  size  and  their 
temperaments  im- 
ply that  they  would 
make  fair  scholars 
should  they  have 
a  chance  to  study. 

The  houses  are 
usually  one  story 
high,  being  made 
of  brick,  brush,  and  WELL-TO-DO  HOME. 


IO  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


•wr*  x 

«JBk""^ 


straw ;  few  have  any 
windows,  or  chance 
for  fire.  The  swine 
and  dogs  are  plenti- 
ful, enjoying  perfect 


liberty     to     wander 
GOOD-NATURED  CREATURES.  whithersoever    they 

will,  to  secure  what 

they  can  eat ;       and  most  of  them  look  as  though  they 
lived  on  dirt,  and  of  poor  quality  at  that. 

This  town  was  formerly  known  as  Peidras  Negras,  but 
now  bears  the  name,  Ciudad  Porferio  Diaz.  It  is  re- 
ported to  have  a  population  of  four  thousand,  but  its 
buildings  are  so  scattered  that  the  casual  observer  would 
not  judge  it  to  have  half  that  number. 


POOR  MAN'S  HOME. 


Looking  around,  our  first  feeling  is  to  pity  the  inhabi- 
tants that  dwell  in  so  desolate  a  region  ;  the  soil  is  bare 
and  parched,  and  every  gust  of  wind  fills  the  air  with 


ON    THE    WING    TO    MEXICO. 


II 


clouds  of  dust.  For  a  few  weeks  only  during  the  year 
does  rain  fall ;  in  May  and  June  the  land  is  refreshed 
with  from  ten  to  fifteen  inches,  and  the  rest  of  the  year 
the  hot  sun  is  sending  down  his  burning  heat ;  so,  no 
wonder  that  seven  months  after  any  rain,  the  surface 
should  be  like  that  of  a  desert ;  still  wherever  by  irriga- 
tion the  water  overflows  the  land,  it  smiles  with  vegeta- 
tion, showing  that  the  seed  is  in  the  earth,  and  is  simply 
waiting  for  right  conditions  in  order  to  grow.  The  only 
vegetable  productions  now  to  be  seen,  except  in  some 
private  yards,  are  mesquite  bushes  from  eight  to  twelve 
feet  high,  and  broad  clusters  of  grotesque  cactuses  of 
many  different  varieties  ;  some  of  them  are  pigmies  and 
others  giants;  some  are  sprawling  and  others  straight; 

and  some  are  ugly  and  others  handsome.  To  the  east,  not 

many  miles  off,  are 

the  Cordilleras 

mountains,  and  to 

the  west  the  Sierra 

Madres,    standing 

as  nude  and  black 

sentinels,   pro- 
nouncing   waste 

and  desolation  on 

all  beneath  them. 

Before  proceeding  it  may  be  well  for  us  to  consult  the 

authorities  and  ascertain  the   extent  of  the  land  which 

we    are    to    traverse    for    weeks    to    come.     Mexico    is 

said  to  be  one  fourth  the  size  of  the  United  States,  hav- 


MOUNTAIN-SIDE. 


12  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

ing  an  area  of  seven  hundred  and  sixty-six  thousand 
square  miles.  It  is  somewhat  in  the  shape  of  an  in 
verted  cornucopia,  measuring  from  the  northwest  limit  to 
the  southern  boundary  nearly  two  thousand  miles;  the 
northern  border  in  length  is  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  and  the  southern,  one  hundred  and  forty.  It  is 
but  half  the  size  it  was  before  the  Mexican  War  of  1847. 
It  has  forty-two  hundred  miles  of  seacoast  on  the  Pacific 
Ocean  and  eighteen  hundred  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
Its  coast  is  broken  into  many  lagoons,  but  affords  few 
good  harbors.  Its  territory  is  largely  table-land  averag- 
ing six  thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  yet  it  is  greatly 
diversified,  varying  in  altitude  from  two  thousand  to 
eight  thousand  feet,  averaging  fifteen  hundred  miles  long 
and  five  hundred  in  width. 

It  has  twenty  mountains  more  than  four  thousand  feet 
high,  and  nine  above  ten  thousand.  Ixtaccihuatl  is 
seventeen  thousand  feet  above  the  sea ;  Popocatepetl, 
seventeen  thousand  eight  hundred  and  twenty  feet;  and 
Orizaba,  eighteen  thousand  three  hundred  feet. 

Its  rivers  are  short  and  rapid,  being  subject  to  flood 
and  drought.  Its  lakes  are  few  and  small  but  exceed- 
ingly beautiful,  not  being  surpassed  even  by  the  lakes  of 
Ireland,  Scotland,  or  Italy ;  the  five  about  the  city  of 
Mexico  are  the  most  famous. 

Were  the  country  level  its  climate  would  be  tropical. 
As  it  is,  it  has  the  temperature  of  all  the  zones.  It  lies  in 
the  latitude  of  Egypt  and  reminds  me  in  many  respects 
of  that  country.  Of  course  the  surface  is  more  broken, 


ON    THE    WING    TO    MEXICO.  13 

but  the  soil  and  productions  are  similar.  The  style  of 
architecture  and  works  of  art  point  to  the  Orient.  The 
antiquities  resemble  those  gathered  up  on  the  banks  of 
the  Nile.  Evidences  all  about  us  imply  that  it  is  an  an- 
cient land. 


CHAPTER    II. 

WHENCE    CAME    THE    MEXICANS. 

It  is  a  fact  that  the  Caucasian  race  afford  the  highest 
expression  and  development  of  man,  and  it  is  well  settled 
that  this  race  had  its  origin  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Tigris 
and  Euphrates  rivers ;  for  going  north  from  that  centre 
the  human  family  degenerates  till  the  Esquimo  is  reached, 
and  advancing  south  from  the  same  point,  there  is  a 
gradual  descent  till  we  come  to  the  Terra  del  Fuegoan. 
In  the  same  zone  round  the  earth  there  appears  to  be  a 
similarity  in  temperament  and  development,  in  color  and 
stature. 

Mr.  Bancroft  claims  that  thirteen  hundred  different 
languages  and  dialects  have  been  extant  on  the  western 
continent,  and  he  classified  six  hundred  of  them,  and 
found  that  thirty-seven  belonged  to  Mexico.  This  cer- 
tainly does  not  imply  ethnic  unity,  or  that  the  different 
peoples  here  had  their  origin  in  the  new  world,  according 
to  one  theory  which  claims  that  the  earliest  inhabitants 
must  have  been  created  on  this  continent,  aiming  to  show 
that  America  is  the  oldest  land  of  any,  and  that  man  ex- 
isted here  when  the  mastodon  and  pleiosaurus  fed  the 
fields  and  sported  by  the  waters.  It  asserts,  there  are 
evidences  that  man  has  been  here  more  than  three  thous- 
and years.  But  Mr.  Darwin  objects  decidedly  in  his 


WHENCE    CAME    THE    MEXICANS.  15 

"  Descent  of  Man  "  to  the  autochthonic  pedigree  of  the 
ancient  American  families. 

Baron  Humboldt  after  visiting  this  land,  gave  it  as  his 
opinion  that  the  Red  Indians,  Aztecs,  and  Toltecs  were 
of  Asiatic  origin.  From  the  most  careful  examination, 
it  would  seem,  that  the  Americans  originally  must  have 
come  from  the  East. 

The  Europeans  have  argued  that  their  country  is  the 
mother  of  them.  The  Welsh  claim  the  parentage  of  the 
ancient  Mexicans,  because  there  are  traces  of  their  lan- 
guage among  them ;  the  Scotch  have  done  likewise  from 
the  fact,  they  have  discovered  some  of  their  Celtic  names 
applied  to  the  streams,  hills,  and  mountains. 

Some  authors  assert  that  they  must  have  sprung  from 
the  Grecian  islands,  because  the  people  have  worshipped 
similar  gods,  and  inscriptions  in  Greek  have  been  found 
upon  ancient  stones ;  furthermore,  many  of  their  cus- 
toms at  present  in  war  and  peace,  and  in  marrying  and 
mourning,  resemble  the  Greeks. 

The  Romans  have  concluded  from  the  vastness  of 
the  ruins,  the  remnants  of  great  roads,  old  coins  dug 
from  debris,  and  from  their  gladiatorial  combats,  that  the 
Mexicans  must  be  their  descendants. 

The  Norsemen  have  striven  to  show  that  our  country 
was  first  discovered  and  settled  by  emigrants  from  their 
country.  Crossing  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  they  explored 
along  the  coast  of  Florida  and  on  to  Mexico  about  A.  D. 
100,  establishing  colonies  at  different  points  which  at 
length  resulted  in  peopling  the  whole  country. 


1 6         MEXICO  :  THE  WONDER  LAND. 

The  Africans  have  found  reasons  to  infer  that  the  Mex- 
icans must  have  sprung  from  their  country.  The  Egyp- 
tians have  felt  to  prove  this  from  the  construction  of  their 
pyramids,  their  calculation  of  time,  their  astronomical 
meridian,  from  the  similarity  of  their  hieroglyphics  to  their 
own,  and  from  their  manner  of  dress  and  methods  of 
warfare. 

The  Carthaginians  have  left  a  tradition  and  some  his- 
torical statements  to  the  end,  that  their  navigators  made 
wonderful  voyages  across  the  seas  and  even  went  so  far 
as  to  our  continent,  where  they  wrought  in  mines  and  left 
parties  that  became  permanent  settlers,  and  so  from  them 
sprung  the  early  inhabitants  of  the  western  continent. 

The  Jews  have  not  been  slow  in  pushing  forward  their 
plea  to  convince  the  world  that  the  Pacific  slope  was  first 
peopled  by  the  Lost  Tribes  of  Israel.  They  have  discov- 
ered likenesses  between  their  own  people  and  the  Mex- 
icans. A  few  years  since  an  ancient  stone  was  dug  from 
a  mound,  inscribed  with  the  ten  commandments  ;  and  this 
has  been  counted  as  strong  evidence  in  support  of  the 
theory  that  this  whole  land  was  first  occupied  by  the  wan- 
dering tribes  of  Israel. 

The  Chinese  have  also  come  in  for  their  share  of  the 
honor  in  first  peopling  this  continent ;  and  they  base  their 
claim  mainly  upon  the  physical  resemblance  between  the 
inhabitants  of  the  two  countries.  They  believe  that  the 
two  branches  must  have  sprung  from  Mongolian  stock ; 
then  in  addition  to  this  they  find  linguistic  affinities. 

For  about  the  same  reasons  some  have  argued  that  the 


WHENCE    CAME    THE    MEXICANS.  17 

Mexicans  are  of  Japanese  extraction.  It  is  said  that  the 
Indians  of  our  country  use  some  idioms  peculiar  to  the 
Japanese  and  that  when  the  latter  come  to  Mexico,  it  takes 
them  but  a  short  time  to  get  so  as  to  converse  freely  with 
the  natives. 

Certain  scholars  have  suggested  that  this  may  have  been 
the  land  of  Ophir,  whither  the  Phoenicians  came  for 
richest  treasures  of  gold  and  precious  things  with  which 
to  decorate  the  splendid  temple  of  Jerusalem,  being  built 
by  Hiram  of  Tyre  for  King  Solomon.  Inasmuch  as  the 
Phoenicians  were  a  seafaring  people,  it  would  not  be  im- 
possible in  their  long  wanderings  that  they  should  have 
come  to  America,  working  the  mines  here,  and  so  in  the 
course  of  events,  some  of  them  might  have  remained  per- 
manently, thus  settling  the  country.  From  the  fact  that 
the  ancient  Phoenicians  had  much  to  do  with  the  Egyptians, 
Hebrews,  Assyrians,  Greeks,  and  Persians,  it  can  readily 
be  seen  why  the  architecture,  traditions,  customs,  religious 
beliefs  and  forms,  should  resemble  those  of  these  different 
countries.  It  is  felt  that  the  Phoenicians  borrowed  from 
them  and  transferred  the  best  things  received  to  Mexico 
about  one  thousand  years  before  Christ,  the  period  in 
which  Homer  was  rehearsing  his  Iliad  and  Odyssey  to 
the  Greeks,  and  Hiram  of  Tyre  was  building  the  temple 
of  Jerusalem. 

Still  others  have  attempted  to  account  for  the  peopling 
of  this  country  on  the  ground  that  long,  long  ago,  there 
was  a  series  of  islands,  or  connected  lands,  extending 
from  the  coast  of  Africa,  commencing  near  the  Pillars  of 


l8  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

Hercules,  across  the  Atlantic  to  South  America,  bearing 
the  name  of  Atlantida.  Plato  gives  an  account  of  it,  rep- 
resenting an  Egyptian  priest  as  describing  it  to  the  Law- 
giver Solon.  The  narrative  pictures  Atlantis  as  an  im- 
mense island  lying  off  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  larger  than 
Lybia  and  Asia  Minor  taken  together,  involving  a  fabu- 
lous history.  Plato  states  that  the  Athenians,  or  people 
of  Greece,  warred  with  its  people  nine  thousand  years 
before  his  time.  The  inhabitants  are  pictured  as  brave 
and  intelligent,  far  advanced  in  civilization. 

Some  early  writers  speak  of  the  Canary  Islands  as 
remnants  of  the  Atlantida.  The  advocates  of  this  theory 
imagine  that  these  islands  were  sunken  out  of  sight  by 
volcanic  action  and  the  inhabitants  engulfed  in  the  ocean. 
However,  previous  to  this  catastrophe  emigration  had 
taken  place  to  South  America,  Mexico,  and  what  is  now 
the  United  States,  settling  these  lands  with  a  race  of  peo- 
ple whence  sprung  the  Toltecs,  Aztecs,  and  the  Indians. 

Our  words,  Atlas  and  Atlantic,  cannot  be  derived  from 
any  language  known  to  Europe  ,  yet  the  Toltecs  had  in 
their  tongue  "a",  signifying  water,  or  man,  and  "  atl ", 
meaning  the  top  of  the  head,  or  summit.  These  roots  are 
still  found  in  many  words  in  Mexico. 

From  whatever  source  the  Toltecs  came  they  were 
an  advanced  people.  The  ruins  of  temples,  cities,  and 
pyramids  prove  this  true.  Probably  the  half  has  not  yet 
been  opened  up.  It  would  be  strange,  if  a  land  so  sub- 
ject to  earthquakes  and  volcanoes  should  not  have  many 
buried  cities  like  southern  Italy  and  Japan. 


WHENCE    CAME    THE    MEXICANS.  19 

These  people  worshipped  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars. 
Humboldt  says  that  the  Toltecs,  as  early  as  A.  D.  648, 
had  a  solar  year  more  perfect  than  that  of  the  Romans, 
or  the  Greeks.  They  grew  maize  and  cotton,  and  con- 
structed irrigating  ditches,  built  great  roads,  were  well 
housed,  dressed  elegantly,  supported  public  schools,  re- 
corded and  commemorated  passing  events  by  hieroglyphics 
and  sculptures. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  Cortez,  when  he  conquered  the 
country,  should  have  allowed  Zumerrage  and  other  priests 
to  have  destroyed  maliciously  the  records  and  written  doc- 
uments which,  if  extant,  might  give  the  full  history  of  this 
people.  If  they  did  dwell  in  caverns,  when  they  first 
came  into  the  country,  they  came  out  of  them  at  length, 
building  and  living  in  elegant  structures. 

In  the  course  of  centuries,  it  appears,  they  were  driven 
from  this  land  to  South  America  by  the  Aztecs  who  came 
from  the  north,  and  who  after  wars,  restored  the  land  to  a 
high  state  of  civilization.  Their  Montezumas  reigned  in 
barbaric  splendor. 

When  Cortez  came  from  Spain  in  1519,  he  found  this 
people  as  far  advanced  in  general  intelligence  and  enter- 
prise as  those  whom  he  had  left  in  Cuba  and  Spain.  Their 
system  of  aqueducts  was  equal  to  those  of  old  Rome. 
Their  pyramids. were  on  a  larger  scale  than  those  on  the 
banks  of  the  Nile.  The  crown-jewels  of  Montezuma  were 
more  costly  and  beautiful  than  those  of  any  imperial  ruler 
in  Europe,  and,  it  is  said,  that  after  Cortez  had  unscrupu- 
lously captured  them,  expecting  to  bear  them  to  Spain,  he 


2O  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

lost  them  during  an  emergency  in  the  sea,  treasures  more 
valuable  than  the  wealth  of  Indo-Ormuzd. 

With  Cortez  came  a  new  race  who  went  to  work  de- 
stroying the  old  and  building  anew.  They  opened  up  the 
mines  afresh,  erected  splendid  temples,  constructed  mag- 
nificent buildings,  and  made  national  roads.  At  the  same 
time  they  transferred  the  national  evils  of  the  East  to  the 
West.  In  the  name  of  Christianity  they  set  up  the  inqui- 
sition, to  destroy  all  who  would  not  willingly  submit  to 
their  authority;  priestcraft  became  at  once  rampant;  the 
bull-ring  and  cock-pit  were  established  in  every  city.  At 
the  points  of  the  sword  and  bayonet  the  people  were  forced 
into  the  Roman  church  ;  public  education  was  suppressed 
and  the  vanquished  were  made  serfs  to  the  victors. 

This  was  an  attempt  to  build  up  by  first  building 
down,  which  has  always  proved  a  failure.  Crush  the 
commonality  and  the  aristocracy  is  sure  to  fall  to  the  ground. 
So  from  the  close  of  the  first  hundred  years  of  the  Spanish 
rule,  Mexico  was  either  standing  still,  or  retrograding,  till 
the  uprising  of  Hidalgo  and  Juarez,  changing  the  despotic 
empire  into  a  republic.  The  forward  steps  were  not  taken 
by  those  of  Spanish  descent  but  by  the  natives.  By  far 
the  best  blood  running  in  Mexican  veins  to-day  is  of  gen- 
uine Aztec  and  Toltec  quality.  Blood  does  tell,  and  this 
is  certainly  true  in  Mexico.  Therefore,  the  leading  people 
of  this  country  have  not  come  from  Spain,  or  Cuba,  but 
from  a  more  remote  people,  remarkable  for  intellectual  and 
physical  strength  and  endurance. 


CHAPTER    III. 


FROM    JARAL    TO    TORREON. 

We  are  still  in  the  rolling  palace.  The  wakeful  lamps 
have  been  turned  down,  for  the  dawn  has  brightened  far 
into  day,  and  now  as  I  look  out  of  the  window  the  white 
sunshine  is  just  kissing  the  tops  of  the  mountains  which 
are  entreating  rather  for  cloud  and  rain  than  brilliancy 
and  fervent  heat.  Here  and  there  folds  of  dust  and  sand- 
hail  are  being  cast  about  by  some  flurry  of  wind.  Away 
in  the  distance  the  mountain  sides  to  the  summits  are 
being  stained  by  mineral  dyes.  Oh,  the  mountains,  the 
world  could  not  get  on  without  them  !  They  stop  the  fly- 
ing chariots  of  vapor  and  bid  them  bear  rain  to  the  thirsty 
ground.  In  the  distance  I  discover  a  long  windrow  of 
dust  rising  thirty  and  forty  feet  into  the  air,  and  while 
surmising  at  the  occasion  of  that,  as  our  train  stops  at  a 

station,  out  comes 
from  the  suffocat- 
ing mass  a  great 
lumbering  wagon 
drawn  by  eight 
mules,  driver  and 
all  looking  as 
though  they  had 
THE  STAGE.  been  blown  from 


22  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

the  crater  of  a  volcano,  pouring  out  fire  and  ashes.  It 
must  require  a  deal  of  coughing  and  blowing  to  remove 
the  thick  dust  deposit  from  the  lungs.  The  solid  wheels 
of  the  vehicle  were  made  by  cutting  off  sections  from 
the  trunk  of  an  enormous  tree.  The  bronze-skinned,  bare- 
legged driver  looks  as  though  he  might  be  the  offspring  of 
some  Titan.  The  mules  with  their  sorry  faces  and  jing- 
ling bells  and  slattern  harnesses  of  leather  and  hemp,  wore 
the  aspect  of  the  Dark  Ages. 

This  is  Jaral,  a  town  which  has  sprung  up  since  the  In- 
ternational railroad  was  constructed.  The  people,  the 
world  over,  have  a  tendency  to  public  centres.  I  found 
this  the  case  along  the  desolate  banks  of  the  Tigris  river 
and  in  the  northern  wilds  of  India.  As  the  trains,  steam- 
boats, or  caravans  arrived,  curiosity  was  excited  and  there 
would  be  a  rushing  to  see  what  was  going  on  ;  in  barbar- 
ous or  half-civilized  lands,  the  old  folk,  as  well  as  the 
young,  are  likely  to  be  on  the  alert  for  something  new ;  all 
hands  are  sure  to  turn  out  to  inspect  new  arrivals.  When 
the  adobe  huts  stand  near  the  railway,  the  dusky  faces 
fail  not  to  peer  round  the  corners,  spying  all  possible. 

Some  appear  seri- 
ous, others  giggle 
and  make  all  man- 
ner of  fun  con- 
cerning the  oddi- 
ties of  strangers. 
One  damsel  on  the 
HAVING  A  LOOK.  wall-top  with  her 


FROM   JARAL    TO    TORREON. 


bare  arms,  bright  eyes,  pearly  teeth,  and  her  head  wrap- 
ped about  with  a  reboso,  presents  a  personage  as  fair  as 
that  of  Pocahontas,  or  Cytheria,  who  might  sing  Mexican 
ditties  of  love  and  sorrow,  and  would  be  charmed  with  the 
smell  of  frankincense  and  delighted  with  the  strains 
from  the  lyre  and  the  zither. 

A  little  further  on  a  whole  family,  grandame,  mother, 
and  children,  wrapped  in  their  winter  attire,  have  placed 
themselves  just  outside  of  the  home,  to  see  all  that  is  going 
on.  Without  any 
cultivated  love  of 
natural  scenery,  or 
love  of  poetry,  how 
can  they  endure 
their  confined  and 
tedious  home,  un- 
less they  get  out 
of  the  brush-roofed 
adobe  hut  and  scan 
the  strangers  who 

have  alighted  from  the  wondrous  palace  cars  and  are  run- 
ning about  whithersoever  they  will,  to  discover  new  things  ? 
Do  you  not  imagine,  as  that  mother  looks  upon  her  win- 
some boys  and  darling  girl,  she  often  prays  that  they  may 
fare  better  than  to  spend  their  days  about  the  monotonous 
adobe  tenement  ?  If  she  could  love  the  sun  that  warms 
them  by  day  and  the  moon  that  scarfs  the  dooryard  by 
night,  and  was  educated  to  think  of  God  and  man  aright, 
she  would  have  higher  conceptions  of  life,  and  would  real- 


THE  WHOLE  FAMILY. 


24         MEXICO  :  THE  WONDER  LAND. 

ize  that  mind  can  be  as  truly  developed  in  the  hovel  as  in 
the  palace.  Stepping  into  the  house  we  see  no  chairs,  no 
table,  no  bed,  no  stove,  a  few  earthen  dishes  and  a  small 
clay  range  that  is  set  out  of  doors  when  cooking  is  done. 
We  can  but  wonder  how  they  do  eke  out  a  living.  Out- 
side leaning  against  the  wall  are  a  broom,  a  brush  made 
out  of  mesquite  limbs,  and  an  apology  for  an  axe.  Maize 
and  wheaten  bread  are  their  staple  food,  having  at  seasons 
scarcely  water  enough  to  slake  their  thirst ;  yet  in  spite  of 
all  these  drawbacks,  they  are  fond  of  their  home  and  their 
native  land.  Probably  as  these  children  shall  reach  their 
maturity  and  wander  among  new  scenes,  they  will  revert 
to  the  spot  of  their  birth  with  a  thrill  of  patriotic  joy. 
We  should  like  to  scatter  flower-seeds  along  their  path- 
way, which  would  spring  up,  spreading  beauty  before  their 
eyes  in  all  the  years  to  come  ;  or  we  would  be  glad  to  leave 
with  them  sweet  singing  birds  to  cheer  them  with  melo- 
dious strains. 

Now  the  call  strikes  the  ear,  "All  aboard,"  and  as  we 
enter  the  bright  and  elegant  car,  we  recognize  the  fact, 
this  is  a  nineteenth  century  product,  while  the  house  just 
visited  belongs  to  the  dark  ages.  As  we  ride  on,  there  is 
no  great  change  in  the  physical  features  of  the  landscape  ; 
our  grade  is  rising,  though  the  altitude  is  now  more  than 
three  and  a  half  thousand  feet  above  the  gulf.  The 
mountains,  however,  are  drawing  in  closer  to  one  another; 
the  lava  formations  are  becoming  more  conspicuous. 

Geology  shows  that  the  original  rock  of  this  country 
consisted  of  granite  ranges  with  intervening  valleys,  but 


FROM   JARAL    TO    TORREON. 


DOWN  THE  MOUNTAIN. 


these  afterward  were 
filled  at  different 
periods  with  igneous 
rocks,  burying  large- 
ly the  granite  out  of 
sight  and  percolating 
plentifully  the  volca- 
nic formations  with 
veins  of  gold,  silver, 
copper,  tin,  coal,  and 
iron,  rendering  Mex- 
ico immensely  rich  in 
valuable  deposits.  It  is  known  that  it  has  three  hundred 
and  twenty-four  mineral  districts,  five  hundred  towns  cel- 
ebrated for  their  mines,  twelve  hundred  and  forty-seven 
being  worked,  and  of  these  eight  hundred  and  seven  are 
silver  and  gold  mines. 

She  also  abounds  in  precious  stones;  her  opals,  onyxes, 
rubies,   topazes,  garnets,   alabasters,    emeralds,   and  dia- 
monds   are   numerous 
and  excellent  in  qual- 
ity. Though  Mexico  is 
old,  its  mineral   treas- 
ures have  scarcely  be- 
gun to  be  revealed ;  it 
is  in  great  want  of  cap- 
ital to  do  this  work. 

While    stopping    to 
supply   the    engine  MESQUITES. 


26  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

with  water,  we  have  a  fine  display  of  mesquites  and  cac- 
tuses on  the  side-hill.  The  trees  are  leafless,  evidently 
resting  through  the  winter  'for  renewed  growth  in  the 
spring.  So  it  is,  all  nature  must  rest  at  times ;  some 
things  in  one  way,  and  others  in  another.  The  sprawling, 
scraggly  vegetation  on  the  hillside  does  not  imply  that 
fairies  and  nymphs  have  an  abiding  place  there.  No  kine 
or  goats  are  browsing  on  the  tough  herbage.  No  doubt, 
ground  squirrels  keep  popping  out  of  their  holes  to  sight 
the  strangers.  Throw  the  garb  of  spring  over  this  deso- 
late picture,  and  it  would  be  changed  to  a  woodsy  paradise 
in  which  birds  would  sing  and  breezes  play  winsome 
strains ;  gazelles  and  antelopes  would  sport  under  the 
protecting  leafage. 

The  sun  in  his  descending  march  drops  changing  shad- 
ows down  the  mountain  sides,  which  are  as  grateful  to  the 
eye  as  the  clear  air  is  to  the  lungs.  As  we  move  on  the 
sun  dashes  burning  heat  through  the  windows,  making  us 
feel  that  summer  has  come,  which  must  soon  scatter  ro- 
mance and  beauty  over  the  desert  land.  Really,  the  sun 
is  a  poet  and  a  painter  that  makes  the  day  a  poem  and  a 
picture. 

Before  it  is  high  noon  having  been  in  sight  of  rocks 
and  rocks  and  vexed  with  dust  and  dust,  our  train  rolls 
into  the  city  of  Torreon,  where  the  Mexican  International 
connects  with  the  Mexican  Central  Railroad.  The  land 
around  is  cut  into  fantastic  shapes.  The  Nazas  river 
runs  but  a  short  distance  away,  which  is  spread  out 
through  ditches  far  and  wide  over  the  surface,  making 


FROM  JARAL    TO    TORREON. 


the  peons  rejoice,  as  they  run  the  plow,  or  harvest  the 
crops.  In  surveying  some  of  the  ditches,  they  look  as 
though  these  Indian  engineers  had  been  successful  in 
making  wacer  run  uphill.  Two  crops  a  year  are  grown 
on  the  watered  fields.  The  soil  requires  only  the  nectar 
enrichment  to  cause  it  to  yield  luxuriantly. 


SALDDN. 


TORREON. 


Well,  sights  upon  sights  keep  enlisting  the  eye.  This 
being  a  railroad  centre  all  kinds  of  Mexicans  have  been 
brought  together.  The  drinking  saloon  is  prominent. 
Only  see  how  its  patrons  pour  out  of  the  portal.  Some 


28  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

of  them  look  as  if  they  had  drank  all  the  pulque  they 
wanted  and  others,  all  they  could  pay  for,  and  others,  as 
though  they  had  got  all  the  fuddle  they  could  manage, 
and  so  they  back  up  to  the  wall,  or  lean  against  the  post. 
Perchance,  the  topers  reason  here,  as  they  do  elsewhere, 
that  they  drink  in  the  winter  to  keep  warm,  and  in  the 
summer  to  keep  cool.  When  the  appetite  for  liquor  rules, 
what  excuses  the  drinkers  will  make,  and  to  what  incon- 
venience they  will  subject  themselves,  in  order  to  get 
their  glasses  !  Then  after  sipping,  how  they  will  eat 
onions  and  chew  tobacco  to  destroy  the  scent  of  alcohol ! 

The  sombreros  are  conspicuous  and  of  diversified  quali- 
ties ;  then,  there  is  a  display  of  scrapes,  varying  much  in 
cost  and  style.  The  class  idea  is  rife  here,  as  well  as  in 
Spain,  or  India.  No  women  are  seen  in  the  motley 
group ;  they  are  likely  to  be  at  home  struggling  to  earn 
enough  to  support  husbands  and  children.  What  a  slave 
woman  has  been  made  by  rum !  Why  will  men  and 
women  persist  in  drinking  liquor?  Pulque,  or  alcohol, 
in  any  form  has  never  built  up  a  cell  of  nerve,  muscle,  or 
tissue  of  the  human  body.  Ah  !  it  is  drank  for  the  ex- 
hilaration, the  same  as  the  Chinaman  takes  his  whiffs  of 
opium,  and  the  Indian  man  chews  the  betel-nut.  When 
the  flesh  rules,  human  beings  are  bound  to  wallow  in 
mire  and  glut  the  passions.  The  dumb  beast  is  superior 
to  the  drunken  man. 

It  is  plain  the  swine  have  perfect  liberty  here,  as  we 
see  them  strolling  about.  The  mother-hog  makes  quite 
a  display,  as  she  wanders  whithersoever  she  will,  accom- 


FROM  JARAL,  TO  TORREON.          29 

panied  by  her  twelve  pigs,  eking  out  a  living  as  best 
she  can.  The  dogs  and  burros  are  plentiful.  I  am 
aware  that  the  donkeys  have  been  terribly  berated 
and  badly  treated  at  times,  but  truly  they  are  among  the 
most  patient  and  enduring  animals  that  walk  the  earth. 
It  is  beyond  my  comprehension,  how  they  can  live  on  so 
little  and  do  so  much. 

In  Aztec  times,  there  were  no  stores ;  goods  were  sold 
in  market-places.  Fairs  were  held  at  short  intervals 
and  merchants  were  itinerant  traders.  As  the  Spaniards 
usurped  the  control,  marked  changes  at  once  followed ; 
shops  and  stores  were  introduced,  similar  to  those  in 
Spain  ;  still  the  natives  clung  tenaciously  to  the  market- 
place, and  do  yet.  The  shops  have  all  kinds  of  curious 
names  on  their  signs,  as  "  The  City  of  Paris,"  "  The 
Azure  Boot,"  "The  Red  Goose,"  and  so  on. 


THE  MARKET. 


3O  MEXICO  I     THK    WONDER    LAND. 

Hardware,  crockery,  and  maguey  works  are  profusely 
displayed  in  their  stores  and  markets.  The  Mexicans 
have  long  been  adepts  in  moulding  clay  into  curious 
shapes.  The  wares  are  of  all  forms  and  qualities,  rang- 
ing from  tiny  bits  to  mammoth  size. 

Often  in  the  sale  places  the  goods  are  displayed  upon 
the  ground,  or  floor.  Generally,  there  are  as  many 
women  as  men  in  charge  of  the  merchandise.  Oranges, 
limes,  bananas,  and  pineapples  are  sure  to  be  spread  out  in 
profusion,  and  grain  is  in  shocks,  bags,  or  heaped  in 


MEXICAN  STORE. 

immense  piles.  Parrots  and  mocking-birds  are  frequently 
offered  for  sale,  but  it  is  now  too  cold  for  them  to  talk  or 
sing.  The  men  and  women  have  on  their  warmest  suits. 
As  we  hurry  round  to  inspect  the  sights,  we  run  upon 
a  ball  ground  where  a  game  is  being  played.  The  boys 
are  lookers  on,  while  the  men  are  pitching,  batting,  and 
running.  There  is  not  a  bit  of  Yankee  alertness  mani- 


FROM   JARAL    TO    TORREON.  3! 

fested  in  the  playing,  as  you  see  in  the 
picture  some  of  the  players  are  stand- 
ing with  arms  folded,  or  leaning  against 
the  chimney.  They  sport  here  just  as 
they  work,  at  a  slow  pace.  It  has  been 


argued  that  it  would  be  otherwise  were  wages  higher. 
Really,  there  is  no  great  propelling  power  in  fifteen  or 
twenty-five  cents  for  working  from  sunrise  to  sunset. 

I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the  amount  of  work  done 
really  fixes  the  price  of  labor.  One  should  be  paid  what 
he  earns,  and  what  he  earns  is  what  he  produces.  It  is 
false  and  wrong  for  combinations  to  try  to  make  out  that 
a  man  of  one  talent,  though  he  doubles  his  gift,  is  de- 
serving of  the  same  wages  as  the  one  of  five  talents  who 
works  so  as  to  double  his  powers. 

There  is  something  new  all  the  while  to  those  who  have 
their  eyes  open  to  see.  Lo !  here  we  are  in  an  adobe  yard, 
where  half  a  dozen  peons  are  engaged  in  brick-making. 
They  are  grinding  the  clay,  moulding  it  into  shape, -and 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


BRICKYARD. 

laying  the  products  out  to  dry 
and  harden  in  the  sun.  In  rare 
instances  do  they  kiln-burn  them,  for  seldom  can  they 
afford  to  do  this  because  of  the  scarcity  of  fuel. 

At  almost  every  turn  taken,  I  am  reminded  of  some 
town  visited  in  going  up  the  Nile  to  old  Thebes.  There 
is  far  more  of  the  Orient  here  than  of  the  Occident.  Lit- 
tle improvement  has  been  made  on  the  old.  It  seems  to 
be  a  stereotyped  feeling  with  the  people  to  do  just  as  their 
ancestors  did.  The  sons  are  bound  to  take  the  medicine 
their  fathers  used,  though  it  kills  them.  We  are  now 
nearly  four  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  and  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  a  good  farming  district.  The  land  of  the  country, 
as  a  rule,  is  not  owned  by  those  cultivating  it.  As  in 
England,  the  few  own  the  territory  and  this  is  divided 
into  estates  called  haciendas,  and  these  are  sub-divided 
into  farms  and  worked  by  peons.  In  the  whole  country 
there  are  five  thousand  seven  hundred  haciendas,  and 
thirteen  thousand  eight  hundred  farms ;  each  of  the  for- 
mer is  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles  square,  and  valued  at 
forty-five  thousand  dollars,  and  each  of  the  latter,  but  a 


FROM  JARAL    TO    TORREON.  33 

fraction  as  large,  is  valued  at  not  more  than  five  thous- 
and dollars.  This  valuation  is  the  basis  of  taxation; 
however,  the  laborer  in  the  end  pays  the  taxes. 

The  Mexican  landlords  reside  in  cities,  6r  in  Spain, 
England,  or  other  foreign  countries,  the  same  as  do  the 
landholders  of  Ireland  and  Cuba,  so  the  money  pro- 
duced by  working  the  land  passes  out  of  the  country  in 
exports  of  gold,  silver,  copper,  coffee,  indigo,  hides,  hemp, 
mahogany,  and  other  products,  to  replenish  the  purses  of 
the  owners.  Native  manufactures  have  been  suppressed 
by  the  Spaniards,  the  same  as  those  in  Ireland  have  been 
by  the  English,  in  order  that  the  Mexicans  might  be  forced 
to  buy  their  cotton,  woolen,  and  iron  goods  of  Spain  at  any 
price,  she  might  fix  upon  them,  and  this  has  been  exorbi- 
tant ;  and  she  has  held  them  under  this  oppression  by 
high  tariffs  upon  all  products  which  naturally  would  be 
furnished  Mexico  by  other  countries. 

Religion,  as  in  the  case  of  England  and  Spain,  has 
been  made  the  tyrant  to  force  submission  to  this  injus- 
tice. This  explains  why  the  country  should  be  so  lag- 
gard and  discouraged. 

It  is  singular,  to  say  the  least,  that  England  should 
have  effected  the  downfall  of  Ireland  by  free  trade,  and 
Spain  that  of  Mexico  by  protection.  Is  not  this  a  knotty 
problem  for  political  economy  to  solve  ?  I  know  that  the 
adage  says,  "  It  is  a  poor  rule  which  will  not  work  both 
ways ;"  this  instance  appears  to  be  somewhat  like  the 
nine-pin  ball  which  knocks  down  the  pins  but  cannot  set 
them  up. 
4 


34  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

In  the  centre,  or  in  the  most  favorable  part  of  a 
hacienda,  a  hamlet  is  established  in  which  there  are  a 
store,  a  church,  sometimes  a  school,  and  always  a  foun- 
tain. This  is  the  trading  place  for  all  the  peons,  work- 
ing the  farms,  or  managing  the  ranches.  This  work  is 
done  on  shares  with  the  understanding  that  the  laborers 
must  do  all  their  trading  at  the  store,  or  markets  belong- 
ing to  their  hacienda.  Thither  all  their  products  are 
carried  to  pay  rents  and  purchase  their  wearing  apparel 
and  tools.  So  it  can  be  seen  that  the  landlord  keeps 
continuously  a  firm  hold  of  the  long  end  of  the  lever. 
Some  of  the  haciendas  are  made  very  inviting,  still  the 
majority  of  them  look  untidy  and  neglected.  Why  should 
we  expect  it  to  be  otherwise,  since  the  day  laborer  com- 
mands but  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  cents  a  day. 

The  section  of  a  hacienda  yard  in  the  picture  exhibits 
the  hen  nature  here  about  the  same  as  elsewhere.  The 
fowls  evidently  live  by  scratching  and  eating.  The  pool, 
or  fountain,  reminds  me  of  the  one  in  old  Hebron,  hav- 
ing been  built  in  King  Solomon's  day,  large  enough  to 
supply  the  whole  estate  with  water  to  drink,  and  at  sea- 
sons affords  much  water  for  irrigation;  the  supply  is 
brought  in  aqueducts  from  springs  in  the  mountains. 
Passing  into  the  house  in  sight  you  discover  no  windows. 
The  door  is  for  ingress  and  egress  and  letting  in  air  and 
light ;  so  it  is  always  night  in  the  house,  when  the  door 
is  shut.  The  long,  heavy  wall  you  see  is  only  a  portion 
of  the  wall  surrounding  the  yard  which  is  more  than  a 
yard  ;  it  is  a  fortification  as  well,  against  roughs  and 


FROM   JARAL    TO    TORREON.  35 

robbers  that  infest  the  country.  It  is  sufficiently  large  to 
enclose  a  multitude  of  folk  and  cattle  in  case  the  banditti 
were  prowling  round,  and  when  the  gates  are  closed,  all 
within  are  safe;  and  from  the  top  of  the  wall  the  defend- 
ers stand  a  good  chance  to  ward  off,  or  destroy,  intruders. 
These  structures  remind  me  of  the  sheepfolds  of  Pales- 
tine and  the  khans  of  Mesopotamia.  These  enclosures 


HACIENDA  YARD. 

were  rife  in  Spain  when  Cortez  came  to  Mexico ;  there- 
fore, it  is  plain  how  and  whence  they  came.  Cortez  was 
bent  upon  making  this  land  a  New  Spain.  Then  instead 
of  living  in  scattered  cabins  on  the  haciendas,  the  houses 
were  concentrated  into  villages  for  self-defence,  the  same 
as  they  long  had  been  accustomed  to  do  in  eastern 
countries.  This  may  work  well  in  some  regards  and 
evil  in  others,  tending  to  waste  time  in  coming  and  going 


36  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

afield,  and  it  must  nurture  idleness  in  affording  fellows 
well  matched  and  disposed  to  loiter,  to  waste  time  and 
opportunity  for  work.  You  know  it  has  often  proved 
true  that  it  takes  two  lazy  men  twice  as  long  to  do  a  piece 
of  work,  as  it  does  one. 

Experience  proves  that  these  landed  estates  in  the 
long  run  waste  and  destroy  a  country.  The  Egyptian 
empire,  the  Grecian  and  Roman  republics,  the  Turkish 
dominion,  are  illustrations  of  this  truth. 

The  cultivators  of  the  soil,  to  do  their  best,  must  own 
the  land  they  till ;  then  they  are  fitted  to  improve  it,  and, 
if  need  be,  to  fight  successfully  in  its  defence.  Chattels 
never  have  proved  true  and  valiant  soldiers.  Let  men 
own  the  land  on  which  they  dwell  and  they  will  be  heroic 
in  its  defence  and  improve  it  for  the  ages  to  come  But 
the  mansions  of  lords  sustained  by  slavery  will  in  a  short 
time  leave  but  a  few  acres  for  the  plow  and  a  small  ranch 
for  the  herd ;  the  barren  mesquite  will  supplant  the  or- 
ange tree ;  clumps  of  osiers,  copses  of  oleanders,  and  all 
the  spicy  nosegays,  will  diffuse  their  fragrance  through- 
out the  olive  orchards  which  were  prolific  in  fruit-bearing 
two  generations  ago.  The  institutes  of  Aristotle  and  the 
philosophy  of  Plato  declare  it  even  so.  Private  men  of 
great  fortunes  expressed  in  bank  stock,  massive  libraries> 
and  choice  picture  galleries,  must  work  and  share  equally 
according  to  their  means  with  day  laborers  that  sleep  in 
shanties,  to  ornament  permanently  a  land  with  enduring 
structures,  as  temples,  meeting  the  approval  of  God  and 
resulting  in  the  betterment  of  man. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

FROM  TORREON  TO  CHIHUAHUA. 

Before  proceeding  southward  we  will  make  a  detour  to 
the  north  on  the  Mexican  Central  Railroad  into  the 
largest  state  of  the  whole  country.  The  state  of  Duran- 
go,  which  we  are  to  visit,  is  about  the  size  of  Oregon, 
being  mountainous  and  barren,  with  a  few  rivers,  still 
well  suited  to  grazing  and  raising  stock;  however,  along 
the  rivers  and  streams  there  is  a  productive  soil  where 
the  white  goats,  burros,  and  dun  oxen  feed  and  grow 
sleek. 

Night  drops  darkness  around  of  a  sudden  and  our  fiery 
steed,  though  in  the  harness,  is  not  to  start  on  our  trip 
till  the  clock  strikes  the  hour  of  midnight,  that  the  track 
of  the  railway  may  be  clear. 

The  evenings  here  are  delightful  under  the  cloudless 
sky  with  the  fanning  of  cool  breezes  descending  from  the 
mountain  crest.  The  polar  star  has  dropped  several  de- 
grees since  we  gazed  at  it  under  New  England  skies. 
Venus,  Mars,  and  Jupiter  are  flaming,  as  if  really  on  fire. 
Pleiades  and  Orion  appear  to  be  at  their  best.  Really, 
who  is  able  to  count  the  stars,  and  if  inhabited  as,  no 
doubt,  they  are,  who  can  tell  the  number  of  human  souls 
in  the  universe  ?  Somnus  puts  the  weary  travellers  at 
length  to  sleep  so  quietly  and  soundly,  yet  mysteriously, 


38  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

that  we  ride  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  unconscious  of 
surroundings  and  unaware  that  the  earth  is  whirling  on 
her  axis  at  the  rate  of  sixteen  miles  every  minute. 
Were  it  not  for  gravitation's  chain,  the  centrifugal  force 
would  hurl  us  as  quick  as  thought  far  off  into  limitless 
space  ;  but  God  rules  and  cares  for  the  little  sparrow, 
and  how  much  more  for  every  child  fashioned  in  His 
image. 

As  Phoebus  ushers  in  the  new  morning,  fresh  and  beau- 
tiful, he  fails  not  to  call  the  rested  wanderers  to  refresh- 
ment and  the  duties  of  the  new  day.  We  soon  learn  that 
we  are,  indeed,  in  a  very  large  state,  having  more  area 
than  the  states  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  put  to- 
gether. Mountains  are  upon  the  right  and  the  left ;  the 
general  appearance  of  the  surface  reminds  me  of  parts  of 
Arabia  and  Egypt.  This  is  also  a  grazing  state,  cut  up 
into  ranches,  which  for  the  most  part  are  unfenced. 
Now  and  then  are  to  be  seen  herds  of  horses  and 
cattle,  and  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  under  the  charge  of 
cowboys,  who,  like  the  shepherds  of  the  East,  tarry  with 
their  animals  day  and  night.  They 
delight  in  their  vocation,  for  it  is 
varied  and  full  of  excitement  and 
freedom.  The  cowboys  and  their 
horses  are  inseparable ;  they  are 
mutually  fond  of  each  other.  These 
boys  dressed  in  their  buckskin 
trousers,  showy  boots,  and  som- 
RANCHMAN.  breros,  mounted  on  speedy  horses, 


FROM    TORREON    TO    CHIHUAHUA  39 

are  right  in  their  glory ;  in  fact,  they  feel  that  they  have 
got  about  as  high  as  they  care  to  go.  When  they  have 
charge  of  wired  ranches,  their  duty  consists  in  riding  along 
the  line  of  fences  daily,  to  see  if  all  is  in  order;  but  if 
their  ranches  are  open  fields,  then  their  task  is  arduous  in 
keeping  their  stock  from  going  astray,  and  every  night 
they  must  herd  all  under  their  charge.  After  this  is  done 
they  dismount  from  their  horses,  letting  them  loose  to  feed, 
and  then  stationing  their  dogs  at  certain  points  and  draw- 
ing their  zerapes  about  themselves,  lie  down  to  sleep  un- 
der the  glistening  stars.  If  they  dream,  they  must  have 
dreams  of  romance.  Each  commands  in  this  region  from 
fifty  cents  to  a  dollar  a  day  for  his  services. 

In  the  fall  after  the  rains  are  over,  which  continue  in 
showers  from  May  to  October,  the  fattened  heifers,  steers, 
sheep,  and  horses  are  driven  north  over  the  line  into  the 
States  and  sold  for  beef. 

The  cowboys  have  a  lively  and  exciting  time  at  the 
season  of  branding,  when  each  unbranded  creature  must  be 
lassooed,  led  up  to  the  post  and  made  fast,  while  the  red- 
hot  iron  is  pressed  into  its  hide.  It  is  a  cruel  practice, 
but,  perhaps,  necessary  in  this  wild  country  in  order  for 
an  owner  to  know  and  keep  track  of  his  stock. 

Though  there  are  several  rivers  flowing  through  the 
state,  the  Florida,  the  Concho,  the  Pedro,  and  Chubirca, 
it  is  not  well  watered,  and  at  times  the  people  are  ob- 
liged to  carry  water,  as  freight,  to  supply  families  and 
the  engines.  The  climate  is  very  even  the  year  round 
and  renowned  for  its  healthfulness.  Crops  cannot  be 


4° 


MKXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


grown  without  irrigation,  and  where  this  is  possible,  the 
yield  of  corn,  wheat,  grapes  and  potatoes  is  abundant. 
No  other  division  of  Mexico  can  vie  with  it  in  the  qual- 
ity of  its  grape,  which  is  said  to  surpass  the  best  of 
France  or  of  Italy. 

Irrigation  is  carried  on  by  hard  work  and  at  great 
expense.  The  apparatus  for  raising  and  distributing  the 
water  is  cumbersome  and  difficult  to  work,  as  may  be 

seen  from  the  view. 
The  machinery 
does  not  exhibit 
much  genius,  skill, 
or  common  sense ; 
and  when  the  water 
is  lifted  by  wind- 
lass, or  the  well- 
sweep,  the  work  is 
tedious  as  well  as 
laborious. 

The  mass  of  the  trucking  is  not  done  by  any  means  on 
the  railroad  ;  the  burros  still  continue  to  do  their  full 
share ;  it  is  surprising  what  burdens  are  put  upon  the 
little  creatures  and  how  they  trudge  off  under  them. 
Even  along  the  lines  of  railways,  you  will  frequently  see 
caravans  of  these  burros  with  straw,  grain,  and  the  prod- 
ucts of  the  mines,  going  thirty  or  forty  miles  to  market ; 
when  it  chanced  to  be  asked,  why  the  railroad  is  not 
patronized,  the  answer  was  given,  "  Why,  it  can  be  done 
much  cheaper  by  the  mules." 


RAISING  WATER  NEAR  CHIHUAHUA. 


FROM    TORREON    TO    CHIHUAHUA. 

. 


4I 


BURROS  COMPETING  WITH  RAILROAD. 

The  service  of  beast  and  men  in  charge  of  the  freight 
costs  but  a  trifle  compared  to  railroad  rates  ;  so  they  real- 
ize that  it  is  money  in  their  pockets  to  make  the  burros 
the  burden  bearers.     But  this    does  not  tell  the  whole 
story  by  any  means  of  burden  bearing.      Many  an  Indian 
man,  or  woman,  is  put  to  harder  service  than  the  little 
horse.     It  is  not  uncommon   to  see  them  with  fifty  to 
a   hundred    pounds 
fastened   to   their 
backs,    bearing  the 
same    ten,    twenty, 
or  thirty  miles  in  a 
day.     Much  of  the 
trucking  in  the  cit- 
ies is  done  on  the 
backs  of  these  poor  TRUCKMAN. 


42 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


mortals.  The  pitiable  fellow  on  the  preceding  page  is 
bearing  a  load  of  pottery  from  the  city  into  the  country 
ten  miles  away  ;  he  will  reach  his  destination  in  three 
hours  ;  he  will  rest  his  burden  but  a  few  times  against  a 
wall  or  stone,  in  making  the  distance,  and  may  get  twenty- 
five  cents  for  the  job.  If  he  ever  sings,  his  tune  must  be, 
"  Jordan  is  a  hard  road  to  travel." 

As  our  train  stopped  for  a  few  minutes  at  Santa  Rosa- 
lia, I  wandered  a  short  distance  into  the  village  where  I 
saw  a  Mexican  attempting  to  milk  a  kicking  cow,  which 
was  little  less  than  all  kick.  It  was  a  funny  sight.  The 
creature  and  her  milker  acted  as  though  they  mutually 
hated  each  other.  My  chief  regret  was  that  our  artist 
was  not  present  to  take  a  snap  shot  on  them  ;  it  surely 
would  have  made  a  ludicrous  picture.  On  returning  to 

the  train  I  fell  in  with  two 
tramps.  Their  costume  con- 
sisted of  rags  of  many  col- 
ors ;  they  appeared  jolly,  as 
if  they  did  enjoy  aiming  at 
nothing  in  particular  and  hit- 
ting the  mark  every  time.  It 
is  difficult  to  understand  what 
such  fellows  were  made  for ; 
they  stand,  as  you  view  them, 
surely  having  their  full  share 
of  self-esteem,  looking  as  if 
they  might  be  related  to  the 
MEXICAN  TRAMPS.  man  who  was  boasting  of  his 


FROM    TORREON    TO    CHIHUAHUA. 


43 


great  musical  knowledge,  saying  that  "  he  knew  all  of 
two  tunes,  one  was  Old  Hundred  and  the  other  was  n't." 
They  acted  as  though  their  maxim  was,  "  Every  one  for 
himself  and  Satan  catch  the  hindermost."  Well,  while  I 
inspected  them  and  learned  that  they  had  no  money  and 
scarcely  knew  what  it  was  or  what  it  meant,  I  was  com- 
forted when  they  vanished  from  sight,  recalling  the  say- 
ing that  "Where  there  is  no  money,  there  is  no  devil,  and 
where  there  is  plenty  of  money,  there  are  many  devils." 

Returning  to  the  train  we  moved  onward  and  were 
soon  landed  at  Chihuahua,  a  city  whose  name  signifies 
the  place  where  things  are  made.  It  is  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  miles  from  Texas  and  nine  hundred  miles 
from  the  city  of  Mexico. 

As  we  alighted  from  the  cars  the  air  seemed  crisp  and 
the  Mexicans  about  the  station  hug- 
ged their  zarapes  around  their  shoul- 
ders as  if  it  were  stinging  cold.  Hacks 


CHIHUAHUA  STATION. 


44  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

were  at  the  depot  in  waiting  for  passengers,  and  riders 
on  mustangs  were  there  to  see  what  might  be  going  on. 
A  six-horse  team  was  fast  approaching  from  the  silver 
mines,  out  a  few  miles  from  the  city,  which  have  been  the 
source  of  its  wealth. 

A  glance  at  the  city  as  we  were  approaching  it,  showed 
that  it  is  spread  over  a  large  area,  though  at  present  it 
has  a  population  of  only  eighteen  thousand;  but  it  is  an 
old  city,  having  been  founded  three  hundred  years  ago, 
and  is  said  to  have  had  formerly  three  hundred  thousand 
inhabitants.  The  houses  are  adobe  and  mostly  one  story 
high.  The  Chubisco  river  runs  through  the  city,  which 
has  its  ups  and  downs,  its  floods  and  droughts.  The 
products  grown  depend  almost  entirely  upon  irrigation. 

Taking  the  mule-train  and  riding  a  mile,  we  found  our- 
selves in  the  centre  of  the  town.  The  breezes  were 
blowing  strong  and  in  spite  of  clear  sunlight  the  cold  had 
driven  nearly  everybody  indoors  and  out  of  sight ;  still  as 
it  was  noised  about  that  strangers  were  in  the  city,  the 
doorways  became  thronged  with  old  and  young,  whose 
black  eyes  glistened  with  surprise,  as  they  beheld  the 
new-comers.  We  traversed  one  long,  wide  street  which 
is  shaded  by  vast  cottonwood  trees,  some  of  them  being 
five  feet  in  diameter  and  more  than  a  hundred  years  old. 
In  the  distance  we  saw  the  grey  ruins  of  an  aqueduct, 
built  long  ago  to  supply  the  city  with  water.  It  reminded 
me  of  the  aqueduct  stretching  across  the  Campagna  near 
Rome.  No  town  can  exist  without  water,  and  to  what 
vast  expense  people  have  been  to  secure  supplies.  The 


FROM    TORREON    TO    CHIHUAHUA. 


45 


tanks  of  Aden,  Arabia,  cost  fabulous  sums  of  money, 
having  capacity  sufficient  to  hold  water  enough  to  meet 
the  wants  of  the  city  for  three  years.  The  old  city  of 
Palmyra  took  its  water  from  the  Lebanon  mountains,  a 
distance  of  a  hundred  miles  In  places,  mountains  were 
tunnelled  and  arches,  a  hundred  feet  high,  were  built  over 
valleys  in  order  to  carry  the  water  the  long  distance  on 
a  gradually  inclined  plane,  costing  enormous  sums  of 
money.  Water,  surely,  is  one  of  the  necessities  of  human 
life  everywhere. 

At  nearly  every 
stop  made,  I  was 
reminded  of  some 
eastern  city.  Many 
of  the  patios  of  the 
houses  were  cov- 
ered with  plants 
and  birds,  show- 
ing that  there  is  a 
fondness  of  beauty 
among  the  people. 
If  the  walls  of  the 
buildings  fronting 
the  streets  remind 
you  of  breastworks 
or  barred  prisons, 
as  you  pass  into  the  courts,  you  are  delighted  with  all 
sorts  of  pleasant  things,  and  feel  that  it  is  charming  for 
children  and  families  to  have  such  resorts  right  at  home. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  CHIHUAHUA. 


46 


MEXICO  :  THE  WONDER  LAND. 


The  mint,  the  state  and  government  buildings,  the 
tower,  and  a  few  other  establishments  are  attractive 
structures.  The  large  church  with  its  lofty  towers  sup- 
plied with  its  many  bells,  has  cost  more  than  a  million  of 
dollars.  It  is  of  Doric  and  Gothic  styles.  Its  fa9ade  is 
elaborately  decorated,  having  thirteen  statues,  one  of 
San  Francisco,  and  the  others  of  the  apostles.  The 
church  was  founded  by  the  Jesuits,  and  the  silver  mines  in 


the  region  were  heavily 
for  its  erection.    It  faces 
seen  from  every  part  of 
The  state  palace  is  a 
rear  is  the  plazuela  with 
overtopped  with  a  statue 
the  corners  of 
the  statues  of 
patriots,  mark- 
on  which  they 
J  uly,  i  8  i  i . 
this  square  is 
which    great 
silver     bullion 
converted  into 
work  is  still  going  on. 


•*£& 


taxed  to  raise  the  money 
the  plaza  and  can  be 
the  city, 

handsome  edifice.    In  its 
this   elegant   monument, 
of  Hidalgo,  having  upon 
the    pedestal 
his  four  com- 
ing the   spot 
were  shot  in 
Not  far  from 
the    mint    in 
quantities  of 
have  been 
coin.     This 
Silver  is  the  hope  of  this  city,  and 


HIDALGO'S  MONUMENT. 


I  might  say  of  the  whole  of  Mexico,  for  silver  appears 
to  be  the  backbone  of  the  country,  having  ribs  of  gold. 
The  tower  in  which  Hidalgo  and  his  friends  were  impris- 
oned is  joined  to  the  mint.  As  I  scanned  the  stones 
made  smooth  by  the  tread  of  the  patriots'  feet,  I  was 


FROM    TORREON    TO    CHIHUAHUA. 


47 


reminded  of  the  castle  of  Chillon  in  Lake  Leman  where 
Bonivard  was  chained  to  a  stone  pillar  so  long  as  to  wear 
deep  grooves  into  the  granite  under  his  feet.  The  Swiss 
patriot  endured  the  inflictions  of  tyranny  for  the  libera- 


THE  MINT  AND  PRISON  OF  HIDALGO. 

tion  of  his  countrymen.  It  was  in  the  second  story  that 
Hidalgo  was  confined  ;  as  I  looked  about  the  doleful  cell, 
the  very  stones  seemed  to  tell  wondrous  tales  of  the 
grand  hero,  how  he  struck  for  righteousness  and  died  for 
his  country. 


48  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

It  is  passing  strange  that  blood  has  been  thus  far  the 
price  of  human  liberty.  It  was  so  on  the  plain  of  Mara- 
thon, at  the  Pass  of  Thermopylae,  in  the  rescue  of  Rome 
from  the  Carthaginians,  and  in  the  wars  of  England 
against  the  Picts  and  Scots.  So  it  was  with  the  estab- 
lishment of  Independence  in  our  own  country,  and  at 
length  in  the  liberation  of  four  millions  of  slaves.  Great 
souls  have  been  made  ready  to  give  themselves  to  pur- 
chase spiritual  liberty  for  the  enslaved. 

From  1535  to  1821,  when  Mexico  gained  her  inde- 
pendence, the  country  had  been  governed  by  sixty-one 
viceroys  having  been  appointed  by  the  Spanish  crown. 
The  majority  of  these  rulers  were  despots  and  tyrants. 
Of  course  their  subjects  could  but  long  for  a  better  order 
of  affairs.  In  the  course  of  events  there  sprung  up,  as 
by  magic,  a  few  valiant  souls  who  felt  they  could  endure 
the  oppression  no  longer.  Among  the  first  of  these  was 
Hidalgo,  having  been  born  in  1753  and  being  liberally 
educated,  became  a  Roman  Catholic  priest,  and  was  made 
curate  of  Dolores.  He  believed  in  progress  and  studied 
the  needs  of  his  people  ;  he  would  have  them  advance 
in  thought  and  deed.  Among  other  improvements  he 
instructed  his  followers  in  the  best  method  of  raising 
grapes,  producing  silk  and  porcelain  ware.  As  the  vice- 
roy learned  of  these  improvements,  he  gave  orders  to 
have  them  cease  at  once  and  threatened  to  pass  Hidalgo 
over  to  the  Inquisition.  As  Hidalgo  saw  the  good  re- 
sults of  his  honest  Christian  labors  overthrown  and 
his  people  debased,  he  felt  that  he  could  not  endure 


FROM    TORREON    TO    CHIHUAHUA.  49 

such  contumely,  nor  any  longer  submit  to  the  galling 
yoke  of  Spain.  Accordingly,  he  rose  like  a  Moses,  bid- 
ding his  followers,  "  Go  forward."  He  prepared  a  dec- 
laration of  independence,  made  a  flag,  and  in  September, 
1810,  at  the  head  of  a  van,  he  started  the  cry  of  freedom. 
His  friends  and  the  people  round  took  up  the  cry,  and  it 
spread  far  and  wide,  revealing  the  fact  that  the  fire  of 
freedom  had  already  been  kindled  throughout  the  land, 
and  the  people  were  making  ready  for  a  general  confla- 
gration. 

At  once  the  masses  took  to  Hidalgo  ;  he  was  a  Wash- 
ington to  them.  Of  course  the  common  people  were 
not  prepared  for  war,  being  unarmed.  The  Spanish  sol- 
diers were  equipped  with  the  best  armaments  of  the 
times.  To  make  the  cause  of  freedom  a  success,  Hidalgo 
knew  that  his  men  must  be  supplied  with  good  munitions 
of  war,  so  he  with  a  few  faithful  patriots,  as  he  supposed, 
left  for  Texas  and  other  states,  to  secure  martial  equip- 
ments, but  it  turned  out  that  there  was  a  Judas  among 
their  number,  who  betrayed  them  before  they  crossed  the 
state  line,  and  thus  Hidalgo  and  his  true  allies  were  taken 
prisoners  and  soon  after  put  to  death  as  already  related. 
But  this  by  no  means  crushed  the  cause  which  they  had 
espoused.  Their  deaths,  like  those  of  Savonarola  and 
Huss,  only  served  to  stimulate  and  render  daring  loyal 
hearts,  to  carry  forward  the  cause  of  freedom. 

The  heroic  deeds  of  Hidalgo  are  coming  into  the  full 
blaze  of  day,  to  shame  the  littleness  and  meanness  of 
those  who  put  him  to  death.  While  the  memories  of 
5 


5O  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

the  latter  have  passed  into  oblivion,  his  life,  it  is  plain, 
will  span  the  abyss  of  ages  and  throw  radiance  into  all 
futurity. 

Spirit  has  always  in  the  end  triumphed  over  the  flesh. 
I  know  that  physical  strength  is  often  marvelous  ;  so  1 
was  made  to  feel,  as  I  stood  in  the  cell  of  the  tower 
where  Hidalgo  was  incarcerated,  as  I  saw  a  spider  weav- 
ing his  intricate  and  beautiful  web.  How  seldom  do  we 
think  of  such  a  work,  really  estimating  it  aright.  It  has 
been  proved  that  a  rod  of  steel,  one  inch  in  diameter,  will 
sustain  a  weight  of  fifty-eight  tons,  while  a  cord  of  spi- 
ders' silk  of  the  same  diameter  will  support  seventy-four 
tons.  Now  just  pass  on  from  the  coarse  towards  the 
refined,  from  the  mundane  to  the  ethereal,  and  strength 
and  endurance  increase.  This  demonstrates  why  the 
great  hero  of  Chihuahua  is  to  live  and  be  loved,  while  his 
adversaries  are  lost  in  forgetfulness. 


CHAPTER  V. 

FROM    TORREON    TO     ZACATECAS. 

In  due  season  at  our  former  post,  facing  south  and 
moving  onward,  we  find  ourselves  somewhat  locked  in  by 
mountains  assuming  a  great  variety  of  shapes  and  heights  ; 
the  cone,  the  parallelogram,  rhombus,  trapezoid,  and  many 
other  figures  are  represented.  The  shadows  are  playing 
strange  freaks  and  presenting  phenomenal  exhibitions; 
and  with  all  the  rest  at  length  the  mirage  puts  in  its  ap- 
pearance, or  perhaps,  more  properly  speaking,  it  is  the 
curious  "fata  morgana,"  a  city  fashioned  in  the  sky  by  the 
sun  and  atmosphere.  Gazing  from  the  car  windows  into 
space  at  just  such  an  angle  above  the  horizon,  we  see 
magnificent  cathedrals  and  rows  of  lofty  towers,  a  wonder- 
ful spectacle,  indeed  !  At  times  the  figures  take  the  shape 
of  arcades,  vaults,  and  splendid  structures,  whose  archi- 
tects are  on  high.  These  are  but  the  repetition  of  the 
German  Brocken,  or  the  famous  Ulloa,  or  the  mirage  of 
Sahara.  No  wonder  that  before  the  reign  of  science, 
they  were  regarded  the  production  of  fairies,  or  wondrous 
castle-builders. 

The  rays  of  the  sun  fall  quite  direct  at  this  season 
under  Mexican  skies,  if  it  is  mid-winter  in  Chicago  and 
Boston.  Therefore,  it  is  summery  here,  yet  the  mesquites 
and  napols  stand  naked  as  they  would  in  the  land  of 


52         MEXICO:  THE  WONDER  LAND. 

biting  frosts  ;  no  doubt,  they  are  taking  rest  and  recuper- 
ating for  vigorous  growth,  as  the  rains  of  May  and 
June  shall  fall.  We  are  passing  through  a  prairie-like  coun- 
try, though  generally  destitute  of  vegetation  ;  sand,  rocks, 
and  mountains  abound  beyond  description.  Our  engine 
puffs  and  wheezes  as  he  climbs  the  mountain  flanks  and 
the  train  twists  like  a  huge  serpent  along  the  hill-sides. 

At  length  we  are  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  sea, 
seven  hundred  and  eighty-five  miles  south  of  El  Paso  and 
four  hundred  and  forty  miles  north  of  the  City  of  Mexico. 
The  outlook  now  has  scarcely  any  limit ;  the  eye  scans  one 
vast  expanse  of  lowlands  and  elevations.  The  marvel  is, 
how  any  such  variety  of  surface  could  ever  have  been 
called  into  existence !  Creation  is  verily  a  miracle,  regard 
it  as  we  may. 

All  of  a  sudden  tall  chimneys  were  seen  in  a  valley,  and 
soon  houses,  lining  the  hill-sides,  overtopped  here  and 
there  with  church-spires ;  emerging  from  apparent  deso- 
lation, it  was  a  surprise  to  be  ushered  upon  such  a 
city,  one  of  the  largest  and  one  of  the  oldest  in  Mexico, 
having  been  founded  in  1548,  and  made  a  city  by  the 
royal  order  of  King  Phillip  I.  of  Spain.  Its  buildings  are 
one,  two,  and  three  stories  high,  and  made  of  adobe  brick 
and  reddish  brown  sandstone.  As  the  train  glided  partly 
round  the  city,  we  had  a  distinct  view  of  its  exterior 
and  of  its  suburb,  Gaudalupe,  six  miles  down  the  gulch 
into  the  vale. 

Scarcely  anything  reminded  me  of  home  but  the  rail- 
way. The  surface  of  the  land  and  the  works  of  man 


FROM    TORREON    TO    ZACATECAS. 


53 


wore  the  aspect  of  Syria  and  Mesopotamia.  It  struck  us 
with  amazement  to  find  how  the  orient  had  fixed  its  seal 
upon  this  land.  Near  and  directly  above  the  city  rises  a 
mountain  ridge  resembling  a  buffalo,  and  hence  called 
Bufa,  being  crowned  with  the  chapel  of  Los  Remedios,  a 
famous  shrine  for  pilgrims.  Countless  wayfarers  have 
crawled  on  their  hands  and  knees  from  the  bottom  to  the 
top  of  the  hill  to  do  penance. 


ZACATECAS. 

It  was  upon  this  height  in  1871  that  a  most  bloody 
battle  was  fought  between  the  revolutionary  force  under 
General  Triverio  and  Juarez'  army,  which  resulted  in 
a  horrible  defeat  to  the  former.  It  is  said  that  streams 
of  blood  actually  ran  down  the  abrupt  declivities,  and 
that  dead  bodies  were  constantly  tumbling  into  the  depths 


54 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


below.     How   true   it  is  that   civil  wars  seldom  leave  but 
tombs  behind  them. 

The  station  is  above  and  a  mile  out  from  the  city.  After 
our  train  made  a  stop,  we  were  soon  aboard  the  tramway, 
ready  to  be  borne  into  the  midst  of  the  sights  and  activities 
of  the  city  ;  instead  of  the  burros  being  in  front  of  the  cars, 

they  were  loose  be- 
hind. As  the  brakes 
were  loosened,  grav- 
itation set  the  wheels 
in  motion  and  down 
we  went,  the  little 
horses  running  and 
kicking  up  close  be- 
hind as  though  it 
were  fun  to  chase 
the  cars.  Soon  we  were  in  the  heart  of  the  city  and  the 
first  object  that  caught  the  attention,  was  the  massive 
water-tank  in  the  middle  of  the  plaza,  where  water  is  be- 
ing drawn  from  faucets  and  distributed  by  women  water- 
carriers  through  the  city  in  jars,  goat-  and  pig-skins.  The 
water  is  brought  in  an  aqueduct  a  long  distance  from  the 
mountains  and  distributed  with  the  greatest  caution,  be- 
cause there  is  often  a  scarcity,  as  was  the  case  a  few 
years  ago,  when  two  thousand  out  of  a  population  of  sev- 
enty-five thousand  died  in  a  short  time  with  typhus  fever. 
We  soon  turned  our  steps  to  the  market-place  which  is 
situated  in  terraces  on  the  hill-side,  where  we  saw  the 
curious  things  which  the  surrounding  country  produces. 


STREET  SCENE. 


FROM  TORREON  TO  ZACATECAS. 


55 


The  city  has  several  public  squares  and  parks  in  which 
the  peons,  as  well  as  the  aristocrats,  spend  much  time. 
The  grand  cathedral  and  several  other  churches,  are  of 
magnificent  proportions.  The  interior  of  the  cathedral 
is  finished  with  white  calcimite  and  gold.  In  1857  when 
so  many  religious  structures  and  adornments  were  confis- 


WATER  CARRIERS. 

cated  by  the  state,  there  was  a  solid  silver  font  in  this 
church  which  was  taken  away,  valued  at  ten  thousand 
dollars. 

The  agony  of  Christ  is  made  conspicuous  in  the 
churches.  Suppliants  are  constantly  approaching  and 
leaving  the  different  altars  from  sunrise  to  sunset.  The 
masses  here  are  poverty-stricken,  as  is  usually  the  case 


56  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

where  so  many  churches  exist.  The  people  are  obliged 
to  give  nearly  all  their  earnings  to  support  their  religion  ; 
however,  the  priests  look  as  though  they  fared  well,  sacri- 
ficing no  comforts  to  their  profession. 

The  mint  here  is  excelled  in  coining  money  by  no  other 
of  the  country  save  the  one  in  the  City  of  Mexico,  but  busi- 
ness in  it  was  dull ;  the  silver  men  said  that  the  "  United 
States'  demonetizing  silver  had  knocked  the  bottom  out 
of  their  mines"  ;  still  they  were  being  worked,  more  or 
less. 

The  hill-sides  around  the  city  are  dotted  thick  with 
shanties  and  stone  buildings  marking  entrances  to  mines  ; 
some  go  in  on  a  level  and  others  down  by  shafts  ;  some 
mines  have  penetrated  a  long  distance,  so  that  it  is  a  hard 
task  to  go  in  and  come  out,  especially,  for  the  men  who 
bring  out  the  ore.  The  wages  of  the  miner  is  from  thirty 
to  forty  cents  a  day,  working  twelve  and  fifteen  hours. 

Hibernians  are  here,  as  well  as  everywhere  else  in  the 
wide  world.  It  is  reported  that  two  were  mining  here,  and 
as  they  were  one  day  entering  a  vertical  shaft,  the  fore- 
most one  made  a  misstep,  and  fell  crash  to  the  bottom, 
and  the  one  at  the  top  cried  out,  "Arrah,  Pat,  are  ye  killed 
entirely?  If  ye  are  dead  spake."  Pat  reassured  him 
from  the  depths  by  saying,  "  No,  Tim,  I  'm  not  dead,  but 
I  'm  spachless." 

Again  we  repaired  to  the  horse-cars,  and  were  no  sooner 
seated  than  the  brakes  were  off  and  gravitation  was  pull- 
ing us  at  rapid  speed  towards  Guadalupe  and  the  donkey 
mules  again  were  galloping  after  us,  freed  from  harnesses, 


FROM    TORREON    TO    ZACATECAS.  57 

for  these  had  been  removed  and  put  upon  the  cars.  Our 
course  was  down  a  stream,  then  almost  dry,  whose  banks 
occasionally  opened  into  plazuelas,  or  beauty  spots,  set 
with  flowers  and  hung  with  ferns.  As  we  came  to  the 
little  city  of  six  thousand  inhabitants,  we  found  the  mangy 
dogs  as  plentiful  as  the  people  ;  some  of  them  would  yelp 
out  and  then  slink  away,  as  though  they  had  been  kicked ; 
and  cats  were  not  wanting.  How  singular  it  is  that  the 
poorer  a  people  are,  the  more  pets  they  are  certain  to  have. 
The  cats  purred  and  the  dogs  barked  in  English  just  as 
they  do  at  the  Five  Points  of  New  York,  or  in  the  slums  of 
Boston.  Beggars  put  in  their  appearance  at  once,  as  the 
strangers  approached,  looking  loathsome  and  degraded. 
They  seemed  determined  to  filch  the  pockets  of  the  new- 
comers. It  is  said  that  these  beggars  work  under  a  reg- 
ular organization,  controlled  by  the  priests,  to  whom  they 
daily  report  and  give  up  the  lion's  share  of  what  they  have 
received. 

We  visited  the  place  mainly  to  see  the  old  church  of 
red  sandstone,  having  two  graceful  towers,  elaborately 
carved  into  curious  shapes;  on  our  way  to  it  we  took  in 
the  market-place,  which  reminded  me  of  a  country  fair* 
with  booths  for  the  sale  of  flowers,  stalls  where  bright 
colored  zerapes  and  rebosos  were  waiting  to  be  bought, 
and  sections  marked  off  on  the  pavement  where  fruits, 
vegetables,  and  pottery  were  being  sold.  Caution  was 
required  in  our  movements  in  order  not  to  trespass  upon 
the  many  things  scattered  about,  for  they  were  precious 
to  the  owners  because  many  of  them  had  been  produced 


OLD  CHURCH  AT  GUADALUPE. 


FROM    TORREON    TO    ZACATECAS.  59 

with  much  labor  and  brought  long  distances  to  market. 
The  venders  consisted  of  men  and  women,  old  and 
young.  The  eyes  of  the  light-hearted  senoritas  sparkled 
out  fun  as  we  were  passing  them,  and  the  mature  and  old 
presented  the  marks  of  care  and  disappointment. 

Leaving  the  market,  we  went  through  a  charming  plaza, 
whose  roses  were  in  full  bloom,  greeting  us  with  the 
sweetest  perfumes  as  we  were  approaching  the  church. 
As  we  looked,  and  looked  and  meditated,  we  realized 
that  a  cultured  mind  only  could  have  conceived  such  a 
structure,  and  skilled  hands  only  could  have  fashioned  it. 
On  entering  it  we  found  numerous  suppliants  bowing 
before  altars  dedicated  to  Jehovah,  Christ,  the  Virgin, 
and  throngs  of  saints. 

A  side  chapel  has  recently  been  added  to  it,  which  is 
the  most  beautiful  of  anything  of  the  kind  in  the  whole 
country.  Its  altar  is  fenced  in  by  silver  and  onyx  stones, 
and  its  walls  are  hung  with  costly  pictures.  Six  hundred 
thousand  dollars  have  already  been  put  into  it,  and  all 
the  gift  of  one  woman.  Its  doors  are  never  opened  except 
to  the  higher  classes.  It  seems  intended  for  those  who 
expect  to  occupy  the  highest  seats  in  the  celestial  king- 
dom. 

In  connection,  also,  with  this  church  is  an  orphanage, 
in  which  one  thousand  children  are  being  supported  and 
so  educated  as  to  become  useful  citizens.  In  one  depart- 
ment are  two  hundred  and  seventy  boys  learning  to 
become  masons,  boot-makers,  tailors,  painters,  printers, 
farmers,  carpenters,  and  telegraphers.  Another  branch 


60  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

of  it  is  for  the  deaf  and  dumb.  Such  an  institution 
exhibits  applied  Christianity ;  it  is  the  Gospel  saving 
souls. 

As  we  looked  about  the  city  we  decided  that  health 
and  neatness  had  not  advanced  here  so  far  as  to  get  on 
swaddling-clothes. 

But  the  day  was  fast  waning,  and  so  we  hastened  to 
our  horse-cars.  At  once  the  drivers  began  to  harness 
the  burros ;  diversified  kinds  of  trappings  were  put  upon 
them,  made  of  iron,  leather,  and  ropes.  Usually  six  ani- 
mals are  attached  to  a  car  on  returning  to  Zacatecas  and 
the  station,  the  grade  much  of  the  way  being  very  heavy; 
but  now  the  cars  were  so  many  because  of  the  numerous 
passengers,  and  as  the  animals  could  not  be  multiplied 
there  were  but  five  to  a  car.  The  knowing  creatures 
resented  this  treatment,  giving  them  less  power  and  more 
freight.  The  five  animals  to  one  car  would  not  weigh 
more  than  two  thousand  pounds,  while  their  load  weighed 
from  five  to  eight  tons. 

As  we  were  to  start,  the  rain  began  to  fall  and  the 
drivers  began  to  cluck  and  say  go,  and  one  animal  would 
pull  and  then  another,  and  it  was  some  time  before  we 
were  under  way.  As  the  grade  increased  the  animals 
began  to  balk,  crowd,  and  twitch.  As  the  lash  was 
applied  they  went  up  and  down  so  fast  as  to  present  a 
kaleidoscope  of  heads  and  heels.  We  did  really  pity  the 
spunky  creatures,  still  we  endured  the  siege  with  a 
degree  of  composure,  for  we  knew  that  our  train  would 
not  depart  till  we  returned.  Had  it  not  been  for  the 


FROM  TORREON  TO  ZACATECAS.        6l 

cold  rain  many  of  us  would  have  walked  to  relieve  the 
animals.  As  it  was,  we  made  haste  slowly,  and  after  a 
deal  of  drubbing  and  pulling  we  were  seven  miles  away 
from  Guadalupe,  and  domiciled  in  our  comfortable  and 
elegant  cars,  and  I  trust  somewhat  wiser  and  better  for 
the  outing.  Our  Pullman  comforters  seemed  dearer  to 
us  than  ever,  and  as  we  looked  them  over  afresh,  we  were 
ready  to  declare  that  more  genius  and  skill  were  required 
to  construct  them  than  to  build  the  hanging  gardens  of 
Babylon,  or  the  pyramids  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FROM  ZACATECAS  TO  AGUAS  CALIENTES. 

The  sun  was  fast  disappearing  behind  the  mountains 
as  our  train  moved  off.  His  face  grew  red  as  he  neared 
the  horizon,  and  his  piercing  rays  were  greatly  modified 
from  his  noon-day  glare.  He  did  not  appear  to  be  much 
larger  than  the  moon,  still  it  is  asserted  by  astronomy 
that  were  the  sun  hollow,  a  million  two  hundred  thousand 
planets  the  size  of  the  earth  could  be  placed  within  it. 
After  sunset  night  dropped  darkness  fast  about  us,  and 
star  after  star  kept  burning  out  from  horizon  to  zenith 
till  the  whole  heavens  were  ablaze.  It  was  a  splendid 
night,  and  I  sought  the  platform  of  the  rear  car  that  I 
might  pass  an  hour  in  surveying  and  admiring  the  mar- 
vellous heavens.  The  half  moon  was  freely  reflecting  her 
borrowed  light,  offering  testimony  thereby  that  every  un- 
luminous  planet,  or  star,  has  one  or  more  moons  revolv- 
ing about  it  to  make  up  in  part  for  the  absence  of  the 
sun.  So  certain  planets  relying  upon  borrowed  light,  are 
united  into  groups  and  are  called  planet-systems  ;  accord- 
ingly, we  have  our  system  which  revolves  about  the  sun. 
There  is  a  countless  number  of  these  groups,  all  serving 
to  make  up  the  universe-system.  Venus,  Mercury,  and 
Jupiter  were  visible,  and  I  could  scarcely  conceive  that 
it  takes  seven  months  for  the  first,  three  months  for  the 


FROM    ZACATECAS    TO    AGUAS    CALIENTES.        63 

second,  and  twelve  years  for  the  third  to  revolve  about 
the  sun.  The  year  of  Uranus,  the  most  distant  planet  of 
our  system,  is  eighty-four  times  as  long  as  ours,  but  this 
is  a  trifling  period  compared  to  the  time  required  by  the 
comets  to  make  their  yearly  circuit,  taking  from  four  to 
six  thousand  years  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  five  days. 
Then  as  I  looked  at  the  planets  they  appeared  to  be  sta- 
tionary, yet  Mercury  was  rushing  on  at  the  rate  of  one 
hundred  and  nine  thousand  miles  an  hour,  and  Jupiter 
much  faster.  It  is  marvellous  how  it  is  possible  to  keep 
up  such  order  as  exists  throughout  infinite  space  amidst 
such  diversity  of  size,  motion,  and  velocity.  If  only  one 
of  the  vast  number  should  break  loose  from  its  orbit, 
what  chaos  and  destruction  would  at  once  follow  ! 

The  beautiful  Pleiades  was  modestly  letting  fall  her 
light  apparently  from  seven  stars,  yet  it  is  said  that  one 
of  them,  Alcyone,  blazes  with  twelve  hundred  times  the 
light  of  our  sun.  What  a  sun  !  and  yet  there  are  still 
greater  ones.  Were  Pleiades  blotted  out  at  ai,y  moment 
it  would  not  be  known  upon  the  earth  for  seven  hundred 
years,  for  it  takes  that  time  for  light  to  travel  from  it  to 
the  earth.  Some  even  think  that  Alcyone  is  the  centre  of 
the  solar-system,  requiring  the  sun  and  planets  twenty 
million  years  to  revolve  about  it. 

The  Polar-star  had  apparently  fallen  several  degrees 
towards  the  horizon.  Orion  was  nearly  overhead,  and 
new  stars  kept  rising  to  view  from  the  south.  It  really 
seems  strange  that  the  heavens  are  not  more  observed 
and  studied.  It  is  a  question,  if  as  much  attention  is 


64  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

being  given  to  them,  as  there  was  anciently  on  the  plains 
of  Shinar  and  the  sands  of  Egypt.  Of  course  we  have 
more  knowledge  of  the  stars,  for  the  old  astronomers 
bequeathed  us  their  astronomical  wisdom,  ancl  much 
more  has  been  added  thereto.  We  have  no  evidence, 
they  knew  that  there  are  eighteen  million  of  suns  belong- 
ing to  our  firmament,  and  that  more  than  four  thousand 
such  firmaments  are  made  visible  through  the  telescope, 
and  as  its  powers  have  been  multiplied,  so  have  new  dis- 
coveries been  made. 

As  I  watched  the  stars,  it  seemed  that  a  cultivated 
mind  could  not  contemplate,  having  carefully  observed 
the  azure  canopy,  without  recognizing  Him  who  is 
greater  than  all.  Indeed,  that  old  Persian  worship  of 
the  sun  and  stars  was  not  a  gross  idolatry  when  we  con- 
sider the  age  in  which  it  took  place.  It  was  the  earnest 
solicitation  of  the  soul  to  discover  the  Creator  through 
the  vista  of  nature,  and  so  did  the  next  best  thing  in 
adoring  the  heavenly  bodies.  But  since  God  has  been 
revealed  to  us  by  divine  announcement,  we  do  not  study 
the  heavens  to  ascertain  the  reality  of  His  existence,  but 
rather  to  ascertain  the  extent  of  His  dominion,  the  per- 
fection of  His  manifestations,  and  how  all  things  are 
protected  and  preserved  by  his  guardianship. 

"The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God  !"  We  ought, 
then,  to  listen  to  their  proclamation.  "The  firmament 
showeth  His  handiwork!"  Therefore,  we  should  admire 
its  perfection  and  beauty.  "  Day  unto  day  uttereth 
speech  !  "  For  this  reason  we  should  give  audience  to 


FROM    ZACATECAS    TO    AGUAS    CALIENTES. 


His  instructions.  "  Night  unto  night  showeth  knowl. 
edge ! "  Wherefore,  we  should  not  fail  to  peruse  His 
vaulted  records  above  us,  and  we  should  learn  how  the 
greatest  possible  diversity  is  circumscribed  by  Infinite 
Unity.  Thus  wrapped  about  by  His  greatness,  filled 
with  His  goodness,  guided  by  His  wisdom,  and  trans- 
figured by  His  beauty,  what  soul  can  desist  from  loving 
and  adoring  Him  who  opens  the  gates  of  the  morning 
and  drops  the  curtains  of  night,  and  glows  the  whole  uni- 
verse with  the  splendors  of  suns  and  burning  worlds  ! 

Oh,  how  sweet  at  the  close  of  day  to  bow  and  worship, 
withdrawing  from  the  dust-heaps  of  worldly  care,  discon- 
tent, and  lost  hopes,  gathering  up  diamond  thoughts  of 
the  All-wise  and  All-good,  fixing  them  lastingly  in  the 
mind! 

Aguas    Calientes    was    reached  as    the  watch    marked 
the    hour    of    ten, 
and   so  under  the 
mellow  starlight 
sweet    sleep    soon 
enfolded  the  weary 
travellers  and    all 
was   still,    till   the 
glints  of  the  morn- 
ing rushed  over  the 
mountain  tops,  in- 
troducing the  fair- 
est day,  bidding  us  go  forth  to  witness  the  common  and 
peculiar  things   of   the  city  whose  name    signifies    "  hot 
5 


STATION  OF  AGUAS  CALIENTES. 


66  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

water,''  indicating  how  and  why  this  city  should  be  so 
famous. 

As  we  first  looked  out  of  the  window,  flocks  of  black- 
birds were  feeding  on  the  campus  close  at  hand  upon 
seeds  which  had  blown  from  the  freight  cars.  They  ap- 
peared to  be  very  tame,  and  sent  out  the  same  notes  they 
are  wont  to,  when  they  come  to  New  England  in  the  spring. 
They  reminded  me  of  home  in  the  early  May  days. 

Even  before  our  toilet  was  done  native  men  and  women, 
boys  and  girls,  were  thick  upon  both  sides  of  our  train, 
holding  up  doilies,  tablespreads,  mantillas,  and  other 
lace-work ;  and  by  the  time  we  were  through  breakfast, 
throngs  of  natives  were  pressing  around,  importuning  the 
new  comers  to  invest  generously  in  their  silk  and  linen 
fabrics.  They  struck  high  rates  at  first  but  the  competi- 
tion was  so  brisk  and  the  venders  so  anxious,  they  soon 
lowered  their  prices  a  third  and  a  half  as  the  inspection 
went  on.  These  articles  were  exceedingly  fascinating  and 
it  was  not  long  before  large  sums  of  money  were  invested 
in  them.  The  mystery  is  how  the  Mexicans  can  make 
and  sell  them  so  cheap. 

In  the  distance  we  could  see  spires  and  towers,  imply- 
ing that  we  were  in  the  suburbs  of  a  sizable  city.  A  short 
distance  to  the  right  was  a  highway  being  travelled  by 
strings  of  burros,  loaded  with  grain  and  green  alfalfa; 
peons  were  bearing  crates  on  their  heads,  filled  with  live 
fowls,  and  pigeons ;  and  there  were  women  with  babes 
tied  to  their  backs,  bearing  heavy  burdens  of  vegetables 
and  fruit  to  market.  Children  were  scattered  among  them, 


FROM    ZACATECAS    TO    AGUAS    CALIENTES. 


67 


looking  as  though  they  had  just  sprung  out  of  bed  and 
started  off,  forgetting  to  don  any  extra  clothing;  and 
some  of  them  had  not  on  so  much  as  a  fig  leaf  to  hide 
their  nudity. 

This  city  is  particularly  noted  for  its  hot  springs  and  its 
extensive  and  extra  bathing  advantages.  As  I  sauntered 
forth  to  see  the  sights,  I  went  first  to  the  canal,  not  of 
large  dimensions,  but  carrying  quite  a  stream  of  water, 
sufficient  in  quantity  to  drive  a  large  overshot  wheel.  I 
was  at  once  re- 
minded of  the 
thermal  springs  of 
Bath,  England ;  of 
Aix  le  Chapelle, 
France ;  of  sever- 
al places  among 
the  Alps;  of  dif- 
ferent parts  of 
Asia  Minor ;  and 
especially  of  the 

shores  of  the  Galilean  Sea.  Here  the  temperature  of  the 
water  was  a  few  degrees  above  blood  heat.  As  I  walked 
its  embankments  towards  its  source,  or  springs,  a  mile 
distant,  by  ten  o'clock  there  were  as  many  as  five  hun- 
dred bathers  of  both  sexes  and  of  all  ages  washing  them- 
selves under  the  blazing  sun.  They  did  not  appear 
abashed  in  the  least  as  strangers  passed  along,  whether 
in  the  water,  or  out  of  it,  if  they  had  not  a  rag  of  cloth- 
ing on  them.  Some  of  them  had  just  washed  their  wear- 


VENDER  AND  CANAL. 


68 


MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


ing  apparel  and,  as  they  had  no  change,  having  spread 
out  their  garments  on  the  ground,  were  waiting  for  them 
to  dry. 

Bathing  here  is  evidently  considered  a  luxury,  being 
as  free  to  the  poor  as  to  the  rich.  Looking  upon  these 
motley  groups,  I  was  reminded  of  the  bathing  in  the 
Ganges  at  old  Benares,  where  I  saw  one  morning  more 
than  six  thousand  devoted  Brahmins  rush  down  the  steep 
embankment  and  plunge  into  the  water  as  the  fulfilment 
of  a  religious  rite.  All  through  the  centuries,  parts  of  the 
world  have  made  great  account  of  bathing.  Thus  it  was 
with  the  ancient  Romans,  Pompeians,  and  Athenians.  The 
Turks  still  pay  especial  deference  to  the  practice. 

At  the  springs  the  water  boils  up  at  a  hundred  degrees 
of  heat  and  runs  off  in  a  large  and  unfailing  brook.  The 
Jordan  river  takes  its  rise  in  a  similar  manner  at  the  site 
of  old  Dan  and  Caesarea  Philippi,  though  its  waters  are  not 
hot.  These  thermal  springs,  as  well  as  the  volcanoes,  prove 
that  there  is  the  intensest  heat  within  the  crust  of  the  earth. 

In  close  proximity 
to  the  city  are 
many  stone  lodges 
for  bathing  and 
swimming,  where 
for  a  peseta,  or  fif- 
teen cents,  one  can 
enjoy  himself  as 
long  as  he  pleases. 
HATHING  HOUSE.  The  people  resid- 


v 


FROM    ZACATKCAS    TO    AGUAS    CALIENTES.        69 

ing  here  have  no  excuse  for  not  being  clean,  for  the  water 
is  free  to  all. 

Entering  the  city  we  find  the  streets   narrow  and  irreg- 
ular ;  the  houses  are  made   of   adobe   brick  and  stone  ;  it 
wears  the    aspect  of 
an  oriental  city.   The 
people   are   small    in 
stature,  having  dark 
eyes  and  hair,   look- 
ing as  if  they  might 
have     been   born    in  A  RlDE  ]NTO  THE  ClTY 

Spain    or   on    the 

shores  of  the  Persian  Gulf.  In  studying  them,  I  discover 
that  they  may  be  divided  into  four  castes  :  the  whites,  that 
have  been  born  in  Spain  and  other  European  countries ; 
Creoles,  being  of  Spanish  descent  but  born  in  Mexico  ; 
Indians,  or  natives  of  the  country,  descending  from  the 
Aztecs  and  Toltecs  ;  and  mixed  races,  made  up  of  mes- 
tizos, mulattoes,  and  zambos.  The  Indians  by  far  out- 
number all  the  others.  The  poorer  classes  wear  sad 
countenances,  being  the  descendants  of  Montezuma. 
Really  they  have  been  forced  to  wear  galling  chains  ever 
since  Cortez  set  up  his  rule  here.  Their  serfdom  has  been 
a  thousand  fold  worse  than  was  that  of  American  slavery. 
They  have  been  barely  able  to  eke  out  a  miserable  living 
without  providing  any  stores  for  the  future.  The  angel 
of  hope  has  scarcely  brooded  them  at  all,  but  the  mes- 
senger of  fear  has  smitten  them  continually. 

Some  of  the  public  buildings    are  pleasing  to  the  eye  ; 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


this  is  true  of  the  governor's  house,  the  principal  hotel, 
and  several  of  the  churches.  The  buildings  are  compact ; 
so  the  city  of  forty  thousand  inhabitants  does  not  cover 
a  large  area. 

The  windows,  particularly  on  the  first  floor,  are  pro- 
tected by  railings  of  Biscay  iron,  the  same  as  is  the  cus- 
tom in  Spain.  Balconies  are  added  to  the  windows  above 
the  first  story,  fronting  the  streets,  which  serve  as  places 
of  lookout  and  are  likely  to  be  occupied  most  of  the  time 
during  the  day  by  women  and  girls.  Every  house  of  any 
pretension  is  provided  with  a  patio,  or  courtyard,  in  which 
flowers  and  fruit  trees  flourish  and  fountains  play.  The 
better  class  of  edifices  are  constructed  of  porous  amygda- 
loid, trachyte,  or  porphyry.  The  roofing  is  generally  com- 
posed of  red  tiling. 

The  market  places  are  always  worth  visiting,  being  full 
of  sights  and  curiosities.  They  offer  a  fine  opportunity 
to  study  human  nature.  The  chief  one  here  occupies  two 

acres  of  ground. 
On  entering  it,  I 
found  the  huck- 
sters sitting  in 
the  dirt,  encom- 
passed by  their 
wines,  vegetables, 
nuts,  sugar-cane, 
baskets,  hemp  and 
cotton  webs,  and 
A  I'ARROT  FOR  SALE.  trinkets  of  every 


FROM  ZACATECAS  TO  AGUAS  CALIENTES.    71 

description  ;  some  of  the  venders  were  sheltered  from  the 
fierce  sunlight  by  a  canopy  of  cloth  stretched  over  them 
and  supported  by  poles.  In  the  evening  small  bonfires 
are  started  in  certain  quarters  to  afford  them  light  to 
carry  on  their  traffic.  They  appeared  to  be  honest  in 
their  deal  and  one  seller  is  careful  not  to  interfere  with 
the  rights  of  another.  As  I  wandered  hither  and  thither, 
the  natives  were  very  polite  and  kindly  disposed.  Of 
course  they  were  anxious  to  sell,  but  I  found  them  fair  as 
I  purchased  a  few  curios. 

Advancing  to  the  Plaza  des  Arms  I  fell  in  with  military 
privates  and  officers,  who  were  Spaniards  and  of  Spanish 
blood  for  the  most  part.  It  is  not  long  since,  that  every 
soldier  here  must  be  a  Spaniard.  Under  the  new  admin- 
istration public  affairs  are  changing  for  the  better  and 
more  deference  is  being  paid  to  real  worth  than  mere  race. 
If  the  heart  be  white  in  purity,  what  if  the  face  be  black  ? 
By  this  court  stands  the  old  parish  church,  a  grand  struc- 
ture whose  design  and  style  must  have  come  from  over 
the  sea.  I  found  a  few  pictures  on  its  walls  of  real  merit, 
having  been  painted  by  the  old  masters. 

As  the  sonorous  bells  sent  out  their  frequent  calls  for 
mass,  it  became  evident  that  this  is  no  other  than  a  city 
of  churches  and  religious  services.  A  short  walk  took  me 
to  another  plaza  in  which  the  blue  violets  were  thick  and 
in  full  bloom.  Palms  and  other  tropical  trees  adorned 
the  grounds.  How  munificent  is  Nature  in  dropping  so 
many  charms  upon  the  earth !  Splendid  beauties  are 
everywhere.  Ah  !  why  do  we  not  see  them  and  admire 


72  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

them  ?  Upon  one  side  of  this  square  stands  San  Marcos 
Church,  massive  and  costly.  In  one  of  its  side  chapels 
I  visited  a  school  of  sixty  boys  from  seven  to  ten  years 
old,  who  were,  as  I  entered  the  room,  studying  aloud  with 
all  the  force  they  could  muster.  Do  you  ask  what  the 
teacher  in  charge  was  doing  ?  Well,  he  was  apparently  at 
his  ease,  listening  attentively  to  the  tremendous  uproar. 
Some  of  the  copper  faces  looked  red  from  the  strenuous 
effort  of  producing  a  big  noise.  After  the  tumult  sub- 
sided, perhaps  from  exhaustion,  1  enjoyed  a  pleasant 
interview  with  the  teacher  who  seemed  to  be  moved  by 
the  highest  motives  and  emphasized  the  fact  that  he  en- 
joyed exceedingly  teaching  the  bright  boys.  This  school 
was  supported  by  the  government,  which  is  at  the  present 
time  doing  its  utmost  to  have  the  children  throughout  the 
country  schooled  in  the  elements  of  learning.  But  it  is 
greatly  embarrassed  for  the  want  of  means;  still  more 
progress  has  been  made  in  this  direction  within  the  last 
ten  years  than  in  all  the  three  hundred  and  fifty  preceding 
years. 

From  this  school  I  crossed  the  street  and  entered  the 
so-called  university  whose  curriculum  corresponds  to  that 
of  our  high  schools.  Here  I  met  sixty  young  men  who 
had  seen  less  than  twenty  summers,  having  pleasant  faces, 
large  heads,  and  good  physiques.  In  their  work  they  did 
express  ability  and  much  promise.  The  professors  were 
Roman  priests  who  had  been  educated  in  our  country  and 
wore  the  appearance  of  faring  sumptuously  every  day. 
They  were  drilling  the  students  in  the  metric  system, 


FROM    ZACATECAS    TO    AGUAS    CALIENTES.         73 

which  is  the  legal  coinage  of  the  country.  Instead  of 
giving  the  price  of  an  article  in  cents,  they  give  it  in 
reals,  or  parts  of  a  real  which  in  value  is  twelve  and  one 
half  cents ;  the  smallest  copper  coin  is  the  tlaco  which  is 
equal  to  one  and  a  half  cents  of  our  money.  There  are 
silver  coins  in  the  country,  six  and  a  fourth  cents  in  value, 
twelve  and  a  half  cents,  twenty-five  cents,  fifty,  and  one 
hundred  cents ;  also  there  are  gold  coins,  equal  to  one, 
two,  four,  eight,  and  sixteen  dollars. 

From  the  fact  that  this  is  a  mining  land  the  people  feel 
that  their  sons  must  understand  coinage.  The  students  in 
this  university  appeared  very  respectful.  On  opening  an 
English  history  which  is  used  in  this  school  and  scanning 
the  account  of  the  Mexican  War,  I  discovered  that  Gen- 
erals Scott  and  Taylor  are  not  spoken  of  in  commendable 
terms  ;  they  are  represented  as  inferior  and  mean  men. 
How  war  devastates  a  land  as  well  as  minds  ! 

The  gardens  of  this  city  are  numerous  and  most  of  them 
are  attractive.  In  wandering  about  I  frequently  came 
upon  little  stands  where  pottery  was  being  produced  ; 
most  of  it  was  of  a  coarse  variety ;  however,  the  gray 
stone-ware,  covered  with  stone-glaze  and  ornamented 
with  red  flowers  and  leaves,  seldom  fails  of  being  ad- 
mired. 

As  I  came  upon  a  pile  of  wheat  in  the  shape  of  a  pyr- 
amid, covering  over  two  acres  at  the  base,  and  containing 
thousands  of  bushels,  I  could  but  inquire,  whence  did  all 
this  grain  come  ?  I  was  informed  that  it  was  raised  in 
the  state  of  Calientes,  whose  soil  usually  is  rich  and 


74 


MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


A  MOUND  OF  WHEAT. 


productive,  and,  as  elsewhere  in  the  country,  is  divided 
into  haciendas  and  so  owned  by  a  few  lords.  From  the 
sowing  of  one  kernel  of  wheat  in  this  region  they  gather 
forty.  At  this  rate  the  wheat  crop  of  the  world  would  be 
one  billion  eight  hundred  million  bushels,  and  should  the 

other  cereals  pro- 
duce in  the  same 
ratio,  the  com- 
bined crop  would 
be  nine  billion 
bushels,  making  a 
pyramid  one  mile 
square  at  the  base 
and  twelve  hun- 
dred feet  high,  or 

filling  a  train  of  cars  which  would  reach  from  the  earth  to 
the  moon.  The  farming  here  goes  on  any  way,  but  little  of 
it  is  first-class  ;  as  you  examine  the  plows,  hoes,  carts,  wag- 
ons, yokes,  and  harnesses,  you  think  it  strange  that  it  goes 
any  way,  for  these  must  be  models  of  implements  used 
before  the  flood. 

In  many  of  the  homes  hands  are  busy  in  working  linen 
and  silk  into  unique  fabrics;  much  genius  is  displayed  on 
the  part  of  many  a  maiden  whose  fingers  bring  forth  ex- 
traordinary results.  Some  of  their  laces  equal  those  of 
Malta  and  Lyons.  This  calling  must  bring  a  large  rev- 
enue to  the  city.  Calientes  will  long  be  renowned  for  its 
hot  springs  and  beautiful  laces. 


CHAPTER   VII. 


FROM    AGUAS     CALIENTES    TO    SAN     LUIS    POTOSI    AND    DOWN 
INTO    THE    TROPICS. 

No  philosopher  has  demonstrated  how  we  go  to  sleep, 
or  how  we  are  awakened,  and  still  I  do  know  that  it  is  pleas- 
ant to  fall  asleep,  when  wearied,  and  refreshing  to  awake 
when  rested.  Tired  from  the  much  seeing  in  Aguas  Cal- 
ientes,  I  was  ready  to  welcome  Somnus  as  night  dropped 
darkness  about  us  and  our  train  started  eastward ;  and 
when  Aurora  early  called  on  the  morrow,  I  was  awakened  in 
the  city  of  Potosi,  named  after  Potosi  of  South  America, 
because  of  its  rich  mining  treasures.  It  is  not  a  very  old 
city,  yet  a  settle- 
ment was  made 
here  in  the  four- 
teenth century. 

We  were  now 
three  hundred 
and  sixty -two 
miles  from  the 
City  of  Mexico 
and  six  thousand 
seven  hundred 
and  eighty-six  feet  above  the  sea  and  in  a  city  of  eighty- 
five  thousand  inhabitants.  It  was  Sabbath  morning  and 


AT  POTOSI  STATION. 


76 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


the  bells  before  sunrise  were  ringing  out  calls  to  mass.  As 
I  left  the  station  I  soon  came  to  the  Alameda,  where  a 
fountain  was  playing  and  roses  were  emitting  their  sweet- 
est perfumes  and  tropical  trees  and  plants  were  waving 
their  branches  in  the  soft  breezes.  Policemen  were  leisure- 
ly walking  to  and  fro.  Looking  upon  the  near  buildings, 
it  did  seem  that  the  new  had  been  built  out  of  the  ruins 


THE  CATHEDRAL  AT  SAN  Luis  POTOSI. 

of  the  old.  The  more  familiar  one  becomes  with  this  coun- 
try, the  more  he  is  made  to  feel  it  is  a  land  of  to-morrow. 
Verily,  it  is  hoped  that  a  bright  future  awaits  it. 

I  was  directing  my  steps  to  the  cathedral,  an  imposing 
building,  made  out  of  gray  stone  and  tiling  from  founda- 
tion to  pinnacle.  Approaching  the  vestibule  throngs  of 
worshippers  were  rushing  in  and  out  of  it.  Services  were 


FROM    AGUAS    CALIENTES    TO    POTOSI.  7/ 

going  on  at  different  altars.  The  music  was  fine  and  the 
motley  crowds  appeared  to  be  sincere  and  truly  devotional. 
This  is  generally  the  case  in  a  Catholic,  or  Brahmin 
church ;  still,  on  scanning  the  audience,  I  was  forced  to 
conclude,  it  is  sentiment  not  thought  which  rules  these 
people,  and  as  they  go  out  of  the  service,  they  are  seldom 
any  wiser,  or  morally  better. 

In  the  course  of  an  hour,  there  must  have  been  more 
than  a  thousand  worshippers  joining  in  the  service,  and 
no  doubt  there  were  as  many  accordingly  in  the  twenty 
other  churches,  and  masses  continue  on  Sunday  from  early 
morning  till  noon  and  at  times  all  day,  so  the  people  are 
going  to  church  and  returning  for  six  continuous  hours, 
or  more. 

Many  pictures  grace  the  walls  of  this  cathedral  which 
were  executed  centuries  ago  in  Spain  and  Italy.  It  is 
surprising  as  to  the  amount  of  money  that  has  been  put 
into  religious  institutions  in  this  country. 

Leaving  the  meetings  and  wandering  through  different 
streets,  I  found  the  shops  and  stores  in  full  operation,  as 
on  any  other  day ;  more  people  were  in  the  street  than 
common,  for  they  had  come  from  the  country,  bringing 
their  produce  and  buying  their  supplies,  and  more  than 
this,  having  a  gala  time,  a  kind  of  Fourth  of  July.  The 
market  was  well  stocked  and  crowded  with  buyers  and 
lookers-on.  The  masses  wore  a  holiday  expression  ;  the 
men's  white  trousers  and  shirts,  and  the  women's  skirts, 
starched  and  ironed,  and  the  boys  and  girls  in  their  best 
trim,  all  implied  that  they  were  out  for  a  good  time.  In 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


the  afternoon  the  plazas  and  plazuelas  were  overrun  with 
spectators  ;  it  appeared  as  though  the  whole  city  had 
broken  loose  from  their  daily  routine,  and  so  were  really 
taking  rest.  Well-disciplined  brass  bands  were  discours- 
ing stirring  music  in  different  parts  of  the  city.  The 

musicians  were  in  uniform  ; 
some  of  them  were  middle- 
aged  and  others  young  men, 
all  supported  by  the  state. 
The  Mexicans  are  very  fond 
of  martial  music. 

Groups  of  dusky  babes 
would  be  at  almost  every 
door,  as  I  was  passing,  and 
overhead,  a  mocking-bird  in 
a  rustic  cage.  In  the  balco- 
nies of  the  windows  were 
groups  of  bright-eyed  seno- 
ritas  with  oval  faces,  olive 
cheeks,  dark  lashes  and  hair, 
slender  necks,  lithe  forms 
and  bounding  step,  adorned 
with  scarfs,  laces,  and  rib- 
bons. Poets  and  artists  might  select  from  them  many  a 
Venus,  or  Madonna,  for  an  epic,  a  picture,  or  a  statue. 
It  is  sad  that  such  beauty  is  quite  certain  to  fade  into 
ugliness  by  the  time  maturity,  or  middle  age,  is  reached. 
Ah !  surface  beauty  is  as  summer  fruits  which  are  easy  to 
corrupt  and  cannot  last.  But  moral  beauty  endures;  the 


^ 


A  BAND-STAND. 


FROM    AGUAS    CALIENTES    TO    POTOSI. 


79 


wrinkled  face  and  gray  hair  do  not  tarnish  but  add  lustre 
to  it ;  what  is  so  beautiful  as  a  grandsire,  or  a  grand- 
dame,  who  has  seen  four-score  years,  and  yet  is  pure  and 
sweet  at  heart !  Soul-beauty  is  beautiful  here,  and  will 
continue  beautiful  in  the  fadeless  light. 

A  small  Protestant  mission  has  been  established  in  this 
city  which  is  under  the  charge  of  female  teachers  having 
classes  of  boys  and  girls,  and  doing  their  utmost  for 
the  spread  of  true  knowledge.  Religious  service  is  held 
on  Sunday  in  their  little  chapel. 

In  the  west  part  of  the 
city  is  the  famous  church 
of  Guadalupe  overlook- 
ing the  city  with  its  tall 
towers  of  red  stone.  In 
its  facade  is  a  famous 
clock,  presented  to  the 
city  for  the  gift  of  the 
largest  single  piece  of 
silver  ever  taken  from  a 
mine.  Many  quaint  things  are  connected  with  this  old 
church. 

San  Luis  Potosi  is  a  railroad  centre  and  a  growing  city. 
Mining  is  its  principal  business.  The  merchants  and  labor- 
ing men  seem  bound  to  strike  the  nail  on  the  head  every 
time.  Gold  and  silver  embroidery  is  made  a  specialty  by 
the  natives  in  the  way  of  slippers  and  ornaments  for  the 
head  and  body  ;  they  are  quite  apt,  too,  in  making  pottery, 
feather  and  palm  work. 


MINERS. 


So 


MEXICO  :  THE  WONDER  LAND. 


If  the  streets  are  not  so  paved  as  to  be  smooth,  they 
are  swept  every  morning  with  whisk-brooms  and  dustpans. 
What  if  Boston  and  New  York  were  dealt  with  in  like 
manner  ?  To  say  the  least,  they  would  have  an  odd  ap- 
pearance. Still  in  spite  of  this  peculiar  cleanliness, 


AROUND  THE  WELL. 

common  to  all  the  cities  of  Mexico,  the  people  have  not 
the  dimmest  idea  of  any  sanitary  improvements.  No  steps 
have  yet  been  taken  towards  drainage,  or  the  preserving 
of  health.  This  will  explain  why  contagious  disease  and 
pestilence  so  often  ravage  Mexican  towns.  I  have  often 
heard  it  said  that  the  traveller  in  this  land  must  be  on  the 


FROM    AGUAS    CALIENTES    TO    POTOSI. 


8l 


alert  all  the  while,  or  he  will  be  stripped  of  his  posses- 
sions. 

So  far,  I  have  had  no  intimation  that  such  an  order  of 
things  is  true.  Once,  while  in  the  market  in  this  city,  I 
purchased  some  curios,  and,  in  making  change,  I  chanced 
to  lay  my  porte-monnaie  on  the  rude  counter  and  went 
away,  carelessly  leaving  it ;  and  an  hour  elapsed  before  I 
discovered  my  loss,  and  then  as  I  went  back,  I  found  it 
just  where  I  left  it,  and  as  I  left  it.  As  I  approached, 
the  woman  in  charge  of  the  stall  said,  "  I  thought  the 
owner  would  come 
for  it."  Now,  if 
that  had  happened 
in  Chicago,  or  in 
Washington,where 
people  are  com- 
pelled to  chain  the 
door-rugs  to  the 
steps  and  attach 
burglar  alarms  to 
the  windows  of 

their  houses  and  stables,  should  I  have  stood  a  fair  chance 
of  ever  getting  my  wallet  again  ?  It  becomes  us,  who 
live  where  clothes-lines  must  be  put  upon  the  house- 
top to  keep  their  contents  from  the  grab  of  sneak  thieves, 
to  be  careful  how  we  slur  the  Mexicans  and  point  to  them 
as  fearfully  dishonest.  We  may  well  tip  the  hat  to  this 
people  and  acknowledge  that  they  have  been  outrageously 
misrepresented. 


GOING  TO  MARKET. 


82 


MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


/ 


BAKING  TORTILLAS. 


I  saw  several  stands  in  the  market-place,  where  women 
were  engaged  in  kneading  and  baking  by  open  fire  tor- 
tillas, or  corn-cakes,  which  constitute  the  chief  living  of 
the  country-folk  ;  and  they  want  them  hot,  and,  as  they 

come  to  the  mar- 
ket, they  provide 
means  for  these 
cakes  being  made. 
At  some  of  the 
tables  friioles,  or 

ym  m\     i ••-  *^*$-~^*sgm*   i          u 
iK^Pv    "  ***K.  ,y»  ,-"•         ^sL     brown     beans,    are 
*~'**"^  furnished.  In  cook- 

ing here,  a  deal  of 
grease  is  used; 
even  their  boiled 

rice  is  saturated  with  melted  lard.  The  common  people 
evidently  eat  to  live;  their  staple  food  is  vegetable; 
they  have  more  muscle  than  fat,  and  so  are  prepared  to 
endure  hardships. 

From  this  city  we  were  still  to  proceed  eastward  and 
down  into  the  tropical  region  towards  Tampico  to  the 
level  of  the  sea ;  we  should  have  advanced  farther  but 
the  cholera  along  the  coast  deterred  us  from  looking 
upon  the  Gulf.  As  all  things  were  made  ready,  we 
started  at  early  morn.  The  day  was  propitious  and  the 
hearts  of  the  tourists  were  full  of  cheer  and  anticipation. 
It  is  exhilarating  to  travel  eastward  in  the  early  morn- 
ing;  somehow  the  bewitching  sun  seems  to  cry  aloud, 
"Come  on,"  and  there  is  delight  in  going  on,  for  the 


FROM    AGUAS    CALIENTES    TO    POTOSI.  83 

glow  of  the  azure,  the  balminess  of  the  air,  make  the 
heart  bound  with  delight.  Then  there  was  something 
thrilling  in  the  thought  that  we  were  to  be  borne  onward 
by  a  force  that  never  tires  nor  cannot  be  overstrained. 
Then,  too,  our  locomotive  was  massive,  having  monstrous 
lungs  of  fire,  breathing  out  huge  folds  of  cumulus  smoke. 
As  the  creature  drew  long  puffs,  how  he  pulled  us  forward 
at  a  dizzy  rate  while  the  track  continued  level,  and  soon 
put  us  into  the  midst  of  fertile  lands,  where  Indian 
peasants  were  bestirring  themselves,  as  if  they  had  a 
deal  to  do  in  preparing  the  fields  and  gardens  for  the 
sowing  of  the  seed.  We  geographically  were  some  dis- 


NEARING  THE  TROPICS. 


tance  below  the  tropic  of  Cancer.  The  palm  trees  kept 
putting  in  their  appearance,  reminding  me  of  those  along 
the  banks  of  the  Nile  and  the  Euphrates.  Here  and 
there  were  hamlets  of  adobe  and  palm  huts.  The  skins 


84  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

of  most  of  the  people  along  the  way  were  quite  dark, 
evidently  showing  them  to  be  remote  sons  of  Ham. 

All  aboard  were  eager  to  see  and  ready  to  admire.  To 
the  joy  of  all,  the  grass  on  either  side  of  the  train  was 
green  and  completely  covered  the  ground,  something 
which  we  had  not  experienced  since  we  entered  the  land 
of  the  Occident.  Herds  of  cattle  and  flocks  of  goats  and 
sheep  were  showing  that  the  feed  was  delicious.  The 
steers  and  heifers  were  red,  brown,  and  mouse-color, 
large  in  size,  and  handsome  in  every  feature. 

At  times  some  of  the  landlords  have  herds  of  ten  or 
twenty  thousand  feeding  these  ranches.  Occasionally 
we  would  see  large  numbers  of  horses  and  mules  roaming 
about.  The  mule  is  valued  more  highly  than  the  horse. 
The  goats  and  sheep  are  raised  more  for  their  flesh  than 
for  their  pelts  or  fleeces.  The  cowboys,  or  herdsmen, 
were  mounted  on  their  favorite  steeds,  or  mares,  and 
were  on  the  alert  day  and  night  to  keep  the  stock  safe 
that  was  under  their  charge.  Though  they  work  hard 
and  receive  small  pay,  they  delight  in  their  vocation. 

When  fifty  miles  away  from  Potosi,  the  mountains  were 
close  about  us.  Oh,  how  they  towered,  swaying  their 
sceptres  majestically  over  the  whole  region  !  They  rose 
and  they  fell ;  they  interlocked  and  were  altogether  sub- 
lime !  Really,  the  mountains  are  the  beginning  and  end 
of  all  physical  things.  They  mean  action  and  the  valleys 
signify  repose.  Were  there  no  mountains,  water  could 
not  be  spread  over  the  earth ;  there  would  be  no  oceans, 
no  lakes,  nor  rivers.  Without  them  there  would  be  no 


FROM  AGUAS  CALIENTES  TO  POTOSI.      85 

change  in  the  currents  of  the  air.  Strata  would  lie  above 
strata,  from  burning  heat  to  freezing  cold.  Without  them 
there  would  be  no  change  of  soil,  no  tearing  down  of 
hills  and  filling  up  of  valleys.  Without  mountains  what 
a  monotony  would  prevail  over  the  whole  earth  !  There 
would  be  no  Alpine  roses,  no  Highland  heathers,  no 
narcissus,  nor  exquisite  oxalis. 


MOUNTAINS  ON  TAMPICO  BRANCH. 

If  the  mountains  could  speak,  what  stories  they  would 
tell  of  battles  fought  against  terrific  storms  and  splendid 
victories  gained  ;  of  daring  men  that  had  scaled  their 
summits  and  brave  warriors  that  had  crossed  their  flanks  • 
of  wild  beasts  whose  lairs  had  been  far  up  on  their  sides ; 
of  eagles  and  hawks  whose  cries  and  whistles  had  echoed 
above  their  crests,  and  whose  eyries  for  ages  had  been 


86  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

built  in    their  loftiest  crags  !     Who  can  fail  to  love  the 
mountains,  yea,  to  glory  in  them  ? 

At  the  little  station  of  Villar  we  were  four  thousand 
feet  above  sea  level.  Here  we  were  preeminently  in  the 
land  of  the  nopal  and  the  maguey  plant,  which  afford  the 
people  much  food  and  drink.  The  mountains  were  now 
terraced  down  their  sides,  showing  the  results  of  glacial 
and  aqueous  action,  and  from  base  to  summit  the  forests 
were  spreading  out  their  umbrage.  It  did  seem  as 
though  the  Titans  were  reigning.  Some  of  the  trees 
were  immense,  and  the  gorges  and  canons  almost  fathom- 
less. The  train  was  coiling  round  and  under  the  hugest 
breastworks.  As  the  eye  looked  up,  with  difficulty  it 
could  discover  the  pinnacles,  and  as  it  gazed  downward 
on  the  opposite  side,  the  first  sensation  would  be  a 
shudder,  so  deep  were  the  chasms,  so  awful  the  thought 
of  possibly  being  plunged  into  the  tremendous  depths. 
Occasionally  the  mountains  would  so  spread  apart  as  to 
form  delightful  valleys,  which  would  be  filled  with  dense 
forests  extending  up  the  sides  to  the  very  top  of  the 
mountains.  Pines  prevailed  far  aloft,  and  then  descend- 
ing, with  the  aid  of  the  glass,  I  could  single  out  chest- 
nuts, oaks,  cypresses,  poplars,  cedars,  mangroves,  tama- 
rinds, walnuts,  and  elms.  Now  and  then  patches  would 
be  cleared  and  planted  with  sugar-cane.  Some  of  these 
fields  would  be  upon  steep  mountain  sides ;  we  could 
scarcely  imagine  how  the  peasants  could  get  footing  to 
break  the  sod,  sow,  and  cultivate  the  ground.  Fre- 
quently I  would  discover  little  huts,  reminding  me  of 


FROM  AGUAS  CALIENTES  TO  POTOSI.      87 

the  chalets,  high  up  among  the  Alps,  where  the  moun- 
taineers glory  in  their  freedom,  making  the  very  rocks 
resound  at  times  with  their  joys. 

The  outcropping  stone  is  largely  igneous,  still  lime 
rock  prevails  to  a  great  extent.  The  summits  drop  fer- 
tility down  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  so  that  vegetation 
thrives  luxuriantly.  As  we  descended,  it  increased  in  under- 
growth and  became  in  places  jungles,  where  wild  animals 
find  their  hiding  places  and  serpents  hiss  and  strike  their 
fangs.  This  dense  wilderness  will  be  made  to  blossom 
like  the  rose  in  a  few  years,  now  that  the  railroad  runs 
through  its  midst ;  its  trees  will  be  felled  and  its  timber 
borne  to  distant  lands,  and  its  soil  will  be  cultivated  ;  for 
Nature  has  done  her  part  to  render  it  grand,  beauti- 
ful, and  inviting  to  seekers  after  a  good  living. 

We  were  still  downward  bound.  What  engineering 
must  have  been  required  to  hang  this  railway  on  the 
steep  flanks  of  the  mountains !  Now  it  was  through 
tunnels,  and  then  far  above  canons.  The  heights  and 
depths  were  sublimely  magnificent.  Our  descent  was  at 
the  rate  of  seventy-five  and  more  feet  to  the  mile.  The 
zigzagging  was  marvelous  :  the  train  would  swing  round  a 
point,  giving  us  a  sight  of  two  railroad  beds  directly  and 
far  beneath  us,  and  it  would  not  seem  possible  that  they 
could  be  the  continuation  of  our  track ;  and  yet,  going 
into  the  mountains,  round  and  down,  and  lo !  we  would 
find  ourselves  on  them ;  and  then,  as  we  would  look  up, 
railroad  tracks  would  be  right  above  us  a  thousand  or  two 
thousand  feet.  Every  turn  around  the  mountains  opened 


88 


MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


up  to  us  new  and  thrilling  scenes.  The  Alps,  or  the 
Rockies,  never  excited  greater  admiration,  or  called  forth 
more  emphatic  exclamations. 

At  high  noon  we  descended  into  the  charming  valley 
of  Canonas.  The  balmy  breezes  of  the  Gulf  had  fanned 
and  moistened  this  vale,  making  it  an  Eden,  indeed !  To 


A  MOUNTAIN  STREAM. 

our  left  and  far  below  us,  was  the  Tamsopa  river  foam- 
ing and  leaping  down  its  ragged  bed.  Giant  palms,  pale 
blancos,  water  oaks,  and  cottonwood  trees  stood  in  thick 
ranks  about  us  ;  these  were  festooned  with  a  great  variety 
of  strange  vines ;  and  numerous  orchids  were  growing 
from  nooks  that  offer  them  a  setting  ;  ferns  carpeted  the 
ground ;  under  the  lofty  woods  and  among  the  under- 


FROM    AGUAS    CALIENTES    TO    POTOSI.  89 

growth  were  coffee  trees,  which  were  laden  with  fruit 
nearly  ready  to  be  gathered.  The  trees  are  planted  in 
the  forest  for  protection  from  the  sun.  The  proprietor  is 
reported  to  realize  annually  from  this  orchard  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  Here  we  could  look  up  the  canon  and 
count  ten  falls  over  which  the  water  in  the  distance  of 
half  a  mile  fell  three  hundred  feet  and  finally  plunged 
into  a  deep  pool.  Descending  to  it  by  a  long  flight  of  wind- 
ing stairs,  we  were  soon  by  one  of  the  most  exquisite  bodies 


A  COFFEE  PLANTATION. 

of  water  ever  scanned  by  mortals.  It  reflected  the  most 
perfect  azure,  tinged  with  an  emerald  hue.  No  opal  or 
precious  stone  ever  threw  out  just  such  a  color.  The 
rocks,  woods,  heights,  water,  and  sky  conspired  to  render 
these  falls  and  pool  verily  enchanting.  It  is  needless  to 
cross  the  wide  seas  to  behold  falls  which  surpass  those  of 
Norway,  Finland,  or  Switzerland.  To  express  our  admi- 
ration for  these  falls  and  pool,  and  do  honor  to  him  who 
has  done  so  much  to  enable  lovers  of  nature  to  behold 


FROM  AGUAS  CALIENTES  TO  POTOSI.     9! 

her  wondrous  works,  our  party  christened  them  "  Whit- 
comb  Falls." 

At  length  we  were  under  way  again,  and  hastening 
towards  the  last  pass  which  would  drop  us  to  the  level  of 
the  sea.  Vegetation  kept  growing  more  rank.  The  houses 
now  were  altogether  constructed  of  bamboo  and  palm 
material.  At  the  stations  the  people  were  out  in  throngs, 
being  mostly  Indians,  and  oddly  attired,  but  very  quiet 
and  civil.  The  train  proceeded  but  a  few  miles  farther 
before  it  stopped  and  the  passengers  alighted,  climbing 
up  a  steep  hillside  for  a  third  of  a  mile,  entered  a  portal 
of  Choy  cave  with  a  spacious  dome  having  a  natural 
window  through  which  the  mellow  sunlight  fell  upon  the 
flooring,  calling  forth  ferns,  shrubs,  and  flowers,  and  so 
spreading  out  an  elegant  carpet.  In  places,  stalactites 
hung  from  the  ceiling  and  stalagmites  rose  from  the  pave- 
ment. Around  the  rim  of  the  skylight,  roots  descended 
a  hundred  feet,  and  fastening  themselves  in  the  rocks,  had 
grown  into  rods  and  columns  of  beauty  from  half  an  inch 
to  a  foot  in  diameter,  binding  roof  and  basement  firmly 
together.  The  sides  of  the  cavern  are  mottled  with  gray 
and  brown.  It  is  of  volcanic  origin  and  composed  mainly 
of  lime  rock.  It  is  really  a  grand  cathedral  with  impos- 
ing tribunes,  whose  builder  could  have  been  no  other 
than  the  Most  High. 

Returning  to  our  train,  we  moved  on  once  more  and 
soon  passed  through  a  tunnel,  and  as  we  came  into  the 
light  it  did  seem  as  though  we  were  surely  to  look  upon 
the  Gulf,  but  it  was  still  too  far  oft';  and,  after  a  little? 


92  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

the  train  having  stopped,  we  went  out  of  the  cars  and 
down  a  rocky,  precipitous  declivity  for  a'  hundred  rods, 
then  turning  to  the  right,  entered  a  superb  doorway,  and 
lo  !  we  were  in  another  stupendous  cave  forming  a  majes- 
tic cathedral,  grander  than  Saint  Peter's  at  Rome,  or  any 
Egyptian  temple.  It  is  composed  of  two  auditoriums  of 
marvelous  dimensions.  The  flooring  is  stone  and  water, 
for  on  one  side  a  prolific  fountain  boils  up  from  the  rock, 
as  if  it  had  been  smote  by  some  gigantic  wand  ;  it  pours 
out  of  the  cavern  a  river  sufficient  to  drive  thousands  of 
spindles.  The  fairies  and  nymphs  of  Greece  never  had 
more  beautiful  waters  to  guard,  or  in  which  to  bathe. 
From  the  dome  comes  in  the  tender  light,  and  countless 
parasites  drop  half  way  down  and  swing  gently  as  the 
breezes  come  and  go,  as  though  regulated  by  some  divin- 
ity. As  there  was  loud  speaking,  or  singing,  the  rever- 
berations were  wonderful.  Bats,  parrots,  and  mocking 
birds  inhabit  the  dome,  and  when  they  chance  to  join  in 
chorus,  they  fill  the  mighty  temple  with  a  jargon  of  dis- 
cords. This  cave,  when  contrasted  with  Fingal's,  is  more 
spacious;  both  are  of  volcanic  origin,  however;  this  is 
composed  of  lime  rock,  that  of  trap ;  they  are  both 
deserving  to  rank  among  the  great  wonders  of  the  world. 
After  this  exciting  experience  and  we  were  once  more 
on  board  the  train,  we  proceeded  but  little  farther  east- 
ward, for  we  did  not  wish  to  take  risks  among  contagious 
diseases  and  malarial  poisons,  so  our  train  was  reversed  at 
the  first  turn-table.  The  country  in  this  region  is  sparsely 
settled,  compared  with  the  tablelands,  because  of  its 


FROM  AGUAS  CALIENTES  TO  POTOSI.     93 

unhealthfulness.  The  natives,  who  have  become  fully 
acclimated,  can  endure  living  here.  We  had  no  disposi- 
tion to  question  the  reports  of  its  heat,  for  the  mercury  at 
mid-afternoon  was  at  one  hundred  degrees  in  February. 
Here  bananas,  cocoanuts,  cacao,  vanilla,  cotton,  cloves, 


AN  INDIAN  HUT. 

nutmegs,  and  peppers  are  grown  in  abundance  ;  and  on 
ground  a  few  hundred  feet  higher  grow  coffee,  oranges, 
olives,  poppies,  grapes,  and  sweet  potatoes.  When  Hum- 
boldt  was  here,  he  estimated  the  immense  outcome  of 
silver  and  gold  from  the  mines  one  fourth  less  in  value 
than  their  vegetable  products.  It  has  been  calculated 


94 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


that  forty  fruit-bearing  banana  trees,  growing  on  one 
thousand  square  feet  of  good  soil,  will  annually  yield 
four  thousand  pounds  of  fruit;  whereas  the  same  space 
sown  to  wheat  will  produce  but  thirty  pounds.  On  the 
plateaus,  maize  and  wheat  are  raised ;  on  an  average  is 

harvested  of  the 
first,  one  hundred 

fe.  and    fifty  grains   to 

every  one  sown, 
and  from  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  of  the 
last ;  this  is  done 
without  any  enrich- 
ment being  used 

A  HOUSE  IN  THE  TROPICS.  uPon  the  ground. 

Most  of  the  vanilla 

consumed  in  North  America  and  Europe  has  long  been 
exported  from  Mexico.  Large  quantities  of  mahogany, 
ebony,  and  other  valuable  timbers,  are  shipped  from  this 
country. 

The  forests  are  enlivened  with  the  chattering  and  pecu- 
liar noises  of  many  kinds  of  birds  of  brilliant  plumage; 
undomesticated  ducks  and  turkeys  are  common  ;  the 
wild  animals  consist  of  bears,  wolves,  jaguars,  polecats, 
cougars,  deer,  porcupines,  weasels,  and  an  occasional 
monkey.  Lizards,  snakes,  and  insects  are  beyond  enu- 
meration. 

It  is  plain  that  these  lands,  or  savannas,  were  once 
thickly  inhabited,  for  when  they  are  cleared,  or  laid  bare 


FROM    AGUAS    CALIENTES    TO    POTOSI.  95 

by  fire,  it  is  seen  that  they  were  once  formed  into  terraces 
and  guarded  by  brick  walls  against  the  ravages  of  trop- 
ical rains  and  floods.  These  are  now  largely  concealed 
by  trees  and  rank  grasses.  Where,  at  present,  a  hut  will 
not  be  met  with  for  miles,  the  land  formerly,  no  doubt, 
was  as  thickly  inhabited  as  were  the  ba.nks  of  the  Mean- 
der, or  the  plains  of  Marathon  in  the  time  of  Pericles 
and  Alexander.  Whether  they  were  peopled  by  the  Aztecs 
or  Toltecs,  or  races  before  them,  none  can  now  say ;  never- 
theless, the  works  tell  of  minds  that  did  conceive  and 
hands  that  wrought.  So  it  is  ;  men  may  come  and  go,  but 
their  works  are  left  after  them.  The  cathedral  of  Co- 
logne, the  Saint  Peter's  of  Gothic  architecture,  which 
stands  so  majestically  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine,  a 
monument  of  profoundest  conception  and  the  structure 
of  the  most  skilful  hands,  a  splendid  temple  from  pinna- 
cle to  foundation  and  the  admiration  of  the  world,  is 
involved  in  mystery,  for  its  designer  and  builders  are 
unknown.  Dr.  Schliemann  dug  down  by  the  Scaean  Gate 
and,  lo !  he  opened  up  records  of  old  Troy  and  he 
searched  the  tombs,  taking  out  a  golden  sceptre  of  won- 
derful workmanship  and  vast  proportions,  and  a  crown  of 
gold  two  and  a  half  feet  in  diameter,  set  with  costliest 
gems,  but  it  is  a  perfect  mystery  as  to  whose  hand  swayed 
the  sceptre,  or  whose  head  wore  the  crown  ;  we  may  guess 
that  they  were  Priam's,  or  Hector's,  or  some  other 
renowned  Trojan  ;  this  is  the  best  we  can  do,  leaving 
them  involved  in  mystery  and  oblivion.  Thus  it  is  with 
these  terraced  works  ;  they  are  results  of  unknown  agents. 


96         MEXICO  :  THE  WONDER  LAND. 

In  the  morning  we  were  enjoying  a  temperate  climate  ; 
in  the  afternoon  we  were  sweltering  in  tropical  heat.  If 
the  alternative  were  to  freeze  or  be  roasted  to  death,  my 
choice  would  speedily  be  made  in  favor  of  the  former. 
The  people  living  within  the  tropics  suffer  far  more  than 
those  dwelling  in  the  frigid  zone.  Excessive  heat  ener- 
vates, while  intensest  cold  may  invigorate. 

As  night  was  approaching,  our  train  was  moving  west- 
ward and  upward.  Our  double  locomotive  was  forced  to 
struggle  as  it  came  to  the  steep,  sharp  curves  ;  had  it  not 
been  for  the  sand  scattered  upon  the  rails  as  a  dashing 
shower  wet  them,  we  should  have  been  at  a  standstill,  but 
the  genius  of  man  has  worked  wonders  in  adjusting  and 
adapting  means  unto  ends,  so  what  was  lost  in  one  way, 
was  made  up  in  another,  and  when  the  new  day  came,  we 
were  at  nine  o'clock  again  in  the  interesting  city  of  San 
Luis  Potosi,  profoundly  grateful  for  the  marvelous  expe- 
riences of  the  previous  day. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

FROM    SAN    LUIS    POTOSI    TO    GUANAJUATO. 

The  experiences  of  yesterday  linger  in  the  heart  like 
the  recollection  of  some  sweet  song,  or  grand  oratorio,  or 
of  a  visit  to  a  splendid  art  gallery,  or  of  visions  of  Yo- 
semite,  as  the  sun  poured  upon  it  the  clearest  day.  We 
tarried  not  at  Potosi  but  hurried  back  to  Calientes,  where 
a  stop  was  made  long  enough  for  all  who  wished  to  in- 
dulge in  another  delicious  bath ;  and  all  were  made  sorry 
who  missed  of  the  treat,  as  they  heard  the  fortunate  ones 
describe  their  ecstatic  joy  as  they  swam  and  scrubbed  in 
the  placid  waters,  tempered  by  nature's  furnace. 

From  this  point  our  course  was  due  south  towards  the 
City  of  Mexico.  For  a  distance  the  surface  was  like  roll- 
ing pastures;  patches  of  verdant  alfalfa  kept  putting  in 
their  appearance ;  as  the  train  halted,  now  and  then,  I  saw 
dandelions  starring  the  grass  with  gold,  and  other  flowers 
lay  wreaths  of  welcome  at  our  feet.  Often  were  to  be  seen 
copses  of  acacias,  rimmed  with  prickly  pears,  ugly,  yet 
full  of  the  sun  and  big  with  promise.  In  the  distance, 
mountains  towered,  which  had  been  thrown  into  a  diversity 
of  battlements,  as  if  they  were  the  haunts  of  myriads 
of  warriors,  ready  to  do  battle  with  the  mightiest  foe. 

As  we  advanced,  the  soil  increased  in  fertility  and  was 
better  cultivated  ;  large  fields  were  thickly  set  with  shocks 


98 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


of  corn,  and  unthreshed  wheat  was  piled  in  the  tops  of 
mesquite  trees ;  peasants  were  going  afield  with  their  white 
and  parti-colored  oxen,  yoked  by  a  slit-work  tied  to  their 
horns  and  attached  to  carts  with  heavy  plank  wheels,  or 

to  wooden  plows 
and  other  farming 
implements  which 
looked  as  if  they 
might  have  been 
taken  from  Noah's 
ark.  In  the  dis- 
tance we  saw  a 
lake,  which  was  a 


CACTUSES  AND  PULQUE  GATHERING. 


surprise — as  much 
so,  as  coming  from 

the  Sahara  desert  unexpectedly  upon  the  Mediterranean, 
though  we  knew  this  body  of  water  could  not  be  Ho- 
mer's sea,  nor  the  one  over  which  Helen  sailed  and  the 
brave  Greeks  floated  their  galleys. 

Throngs  of  people  were  at  the  stations  passed  ;  it  was 
a  conundrum  how  they  should  have  known  that  we  were 
coming  and  why  they  should  have  flocked  thither  in  such 
large  numbers  ;  perchance,  it  was  some  siren  that  her- 
alded the  coming  and  curiosity  that  ushered  them  thith- 
erward. 

As  the  sun  went  down  and  the  crescent  moon  and  dis- 
tant stars  threw  their  dim  light  over  the  face  of  nature, 
the  physical  eye  could  no  longer  see  the  real  ;  then  came 
dinner,  which  was  relishable  and  bountiful,  served  in  our 


FROM    SAN    LUIS    POTOSI    TO    GUANAJUATO.        99 

dining-car,  in  first-class  style.  After  this  came  a  season 
of  sociability  ;  the  company  was  select  from  highest  officer 
to  boot-black;  accordingly,  there  was  no  jargon,  yet,  of 
course  there  would  be  coteries  which  would  be  naturally 
drawn  together, for  "birds  of  a  feather  will  flock  together." 
Many  quaint  things  were  said  and  funny  stories  related ; 
serious  things  were  not  slighted ;  science,  ethics,  and  the- 
ology were  discussed  ;  still,  harmony  prevailed,  for  when 
mutual  agreement  was  impossible,  all  consented  to  dis- 
agree. 

At  a  seasonable  hour  we  retired,  save  those  in  charge 
of  the  train,  and  when  morning  came,  we  awoke  in  the  old 
city  of  Silao.  After  the  early,  pleasant  call  went  through 
the  Pullmans,  "  breakfast,"  the  passengers  were, soon  at 
the  tables,  and,  I  judged,  all  had  had  pleasant  dreams  and 
sweet  sleep,  for  smiles  were  the  greeting  of  the  morning. 
Oh,  the  bright  mornings  of  Mexico  !  Shall  I  ever  forget 
them  ?  Diamonds  sparkled  on  grass  and  shrub  ;  numerous 
flowers  were  being  awakened  by  the  caressing  of  the  sun  ; 
the  flora  seemed  to  be  enlarging  its  domain ;  the  whole 
heavens  were  scintillant  with  sparkling  beauty.  It  is  well 
for  us  to  try  to  conceive  of  the  Author  of  these  countless 
tones  of  day  and  night,  seed-time  and  harvest,  the  whis- 
pering of  the  gentle  breezes,  the  shimmering  of  the  per- 
fumed air,  the  glow  of  the  sun,  the  twinkling  of  the  stars ; 
these  strivings  do  grow  ideas  of  the  Infinite.  Do  you  tell 
me  that  this  daring  and  searching  do  not  so  much  as  touch 
the  garment  of  the  Eternal  One  ?  If  so,  I  do  not  believe 
you  !  Is  it  nothing,  or  mere  chance,  when  the  heart  aches, 


TOO  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

which  gives  sweet  acquiescence  and  repose  ?  Is  it  noth- 
ing to  have  the  mind  filled  with  admiration  and  rever- 
ence, as  it  gazes  into  the  burning  dome  of  day  and  the 
starry  azure  of  night  ?  Ah  !  these  inly  movings  of  the 
heart  help  one  to  .understand  the  creed  of  God  better  than 
the  mere  man-made  tomes  of  theology. 

As  we  went  forth  to  explore,  we  found  the  natives  out 
in  crowds ;  none  of  the  males  had  forgotten  the  sombrero, 
for  the  man  here  is  estimated  by  the  hat  he  wears ;  if  he 
has  on  a  twenty-five  cent  one,  he  is  counted  a  cheap  fel- 
low, but  if  he  is  donned  with  a  fifty-dollar  hat,  he  is  like- 
ly to  be  adored,  if  he  be  a  noted  scamp.  I  imagined 
from  appearance  that  few  of  the  women  stopped  long  in 
the  toilet-room  before  they  alighted  ;  it  was  fortunate  if 
they  tarried  long  enough  to  put  on  skirts  and  rebosos. 

The  swine,  too,  were  out  and  running  whithersoever  they 
would  ;  perhaps  the  reason  why  the  Mexicans  are  so  fond 
of  hogs  is  due  to  the  tradition  that  where  they  abound 
snakes  and  scorpions  cannot  exist.  The  Jew  might  say, 
it  is  because  they  are  most  despicable  ;  even  Satan  him- 
self could  not  endure  their  company. 

At  eight  o'clock  the  whistle  blew,  and  our  train  started 
on  a  branch  road  eastward  for  Mafil,  which  we  found 
locked  between  lofty  hills  ;  and  here  we  changed  to  a  mule- 
tramway  ;  six  little,  long-eared  animals  were  attached  to 
each  car ;  six  miles  we  were  to  ride  by  this  conveyance 
to  reach  our  destiny.  The  road  was  tortuous,  following 
a  baby  brook  at  this  season,  but  at  flood-time  it  is  a  giant 
river.  The  hills  kept  jutting  in  towards  each  other,  ren- 


FROM    SAN    LUIS    POTOSI    TO    GUANAJUATO.      IOI 

dering  the  valley  narrower  and  narrower  as  we  went  on. 
Adobe  huts  were  scattered  along  the  margin  of  the  high- 
way ;  by  and  by  they  multiplied  and  began  to  be  built  into 
the  steep  hillside,  tier  above  tier. 

This  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  richest  mining  districts  in 
the  land.  The  bed  of  the  brook  every  now  and  then  was 
occupied  by  Indians,  who  were  shoveling  and  washing 
sand  for  the  leavings  of  silver,  as  they  came  from  the 

smelting  mill,  or  else 
they  were  moulding 
adobe  brick  and  lay- 
ing them  aside  to  dry 
in  the  burning  sun. 
Hogs  also  were  wal- 
lowing or  lying  in  the 
mud,  or  being  scrap- 
ed and  washed  for 
WASHING  OUT  SILVER. 

the   silver  cemented 
to  their  sides ;  so  hogs  serve  a  new  purpose  here. 

Soon  we  began  to  come  within  the  limits  of  Guanajuato. 
The  houses  now  extended  away  up  the  hillsides,  look- 
ing as  though  they  hung  from  the  cliffs  and  would  at  the 
least  jar  tumble  into  the  depths  below ;  the  larger  part  are 
made  of  adobe  brick  and  the  rest  of  variegated  limestone 
quarried  in  the  mountain  near  at  hand;  these  are  very 
beautiful  and  show  off  to  the  best  advantage,  sprinkled 
in,  as  they  are,  among  the  dull-clay  buildings.  As  I 
brought  the  glass  to  bear  upon  their  balconies,  they  were 
seen  to  be  adorned  with  the  brightest  flowers  and  gilded 


IO2 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


HILLSIDE  VILLAS. 


awnings.  Oh  !  what  straining  and  climbing  are  required 
to  reach  those  homes  !  They  reminded  me  of  the  build- 
ings on  the  almost  perpendicular  sides  of  St.  Elmo,  Na- 
ples, and  of  the 
homes  fixed  to  the 
mountain  rocks  at 
Muscat,  Arabia; 
still  the  Occident  in 
many  regards  out- 
strips the  orient. 

As  we  rode  on, 
the  valley  was  full 
of  the  works  of 
man.  The  brook  was  alive  with  toilers  in  the  mud  and 
thirsty  mortals  after  water  to  drink,  though  saturated 
with  filth.  It  is 
strange  what  cus- 
tom and  necessity 
will  force  human 
beings  to  do.  In 
the  heart  of  the 
city  the  streets 
were  crowded  with 
men,  women,  and 
children,  either 
strolling  about,  or 
sitting  on  little  mats  with  goods  spread  out  for  sale,  for 
these  thoroughfares  constitute  their  market-place  ;  really 
there  is  no  other  spot  in  the  city  for  people  to  assemble. 


THE  MARKET. 


FROM    SAN    LUIS    POTOSI    TO    GUANAJUATO.      IO3 

Now  some  of  the  buildings  rose  up  three  or  four  stories, 
which  were  unlike  anything  we  had  thus  far  seen  in  the 
country.  The  new  theatre  and  several  of  the  churches 
are  splendid  structures.  It  is  singular  how  costly  churches 
and  places  of  amusement  mingle  together,  and  oftener 


THE  THEATRE. 

than  otherwise,  are  set  right  in  the  midst  of  extremest 
poverty.  The  priest  and  governor  are  arrayed  in  purple 
and  broadcloth,  while  their  supporters  are  clad  in  plainest 
apparel,  if  not  in  rags.  A  few  here  are  very  rich  but  the 
many  are  very  poor.  The  masses  are  wont  to  attend  church 
Sunday  morning,  and  the  theatre,  or  bull-fight,  in  the  after- 


104 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


noon.  Apparently  the  people  make  little  distinction  be- 
tween worship  and  play;  to  them  the  terms  in  signifi- 
cance seem  to  be  synonymous  ;  they  thoroughly  believe  in 
sport  and  fun. 

The  city  has  ninety  thousand  inhabitants,  and  ranks 
high  because  of  its  oddity  and  wealth,  which  are  due  to 
the  silver  mines  in  the  vicinity.  Its  hills  and  mountains 
are  full  of  valuable  ores  which  have  been  worked  for 
centuries.  Nearly  all  the  people  are  connected  in  some 
way  with  the  mines  ;  those  working  in  them  go  in  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning  and  come  out  at  six  in  the  even- 
ing, taking  them  in  some  instances  three  hours  to  enter 
and  as  long  to  come  out.  The  ore  is  brought  out  on  the 
backs  of  men,  and  the  stone  containing  it  is  first  broken 
up  with  hammers  and  afterward  crushed  under  heavy 

stone  rollers,  driv- 
en by  mule  power ; 
being  ground  to 
fine  powder,  it  is 
then  shoveled  in- 
to a  vat  fifty  feet 
square  and  filled 
to  the  depth  of  two 
feet  ;  after  this, 
water  is  let  in  till 
the  mass  becomes 
a  paste ;  the  next  process  is  to  saturate  the  whole  with 
quicksilver ;  and  then  a  dozen  men.  and  as  many  mules, 
are  forced  to  wallow  in  it  for  days,  poaching  and  beat- 


*•• 


WHERE  SILVER  is  CRUSHED. 


FROM    SAN    LUIS    POTOSI    TO    GUANAJUATO.      105 


ing  the  mercury,  which  takes  the  silver  with  it  to  the  bot- 
tom ;  upon  this  the  sand  is  removed  and  the  mercury 
washed  out  with  the  silver ;  and  then  by  heat,  or  by  chem- 
ical action,  the  silver  is  extracted  from  the  mercury.  The 
process  is  tedious  and  destructive  to  life,  but  labor  is  so 
cheap  and  human 
life  of  so  slight 
value,  that  the 
miners  are  not  dis- 
posed to  introduce 
any  modern  im- 
provements. The 
world  is  at  a 
stands  till  with 
them,  so  far  as  in- 
vention and  im- 
provements are  concerned.  One  need  not  wonder,  after 
seeing  the  place  and  the  people,  that  the  death  rate  here 
should  be  higher  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  world. 

There  is  an  extensive  mint  here  which  is  coining  annu- 
ally millions  of  dollars.  On  still  higher  ground  above 
the  mint  is  an  immense  structure  known  as  the  Alhon- 
diga  de  Granaditas,  which  dominates  the  whole  city.  It 
was  erected  long  ago  and  designed  for  a  commercial 
exchange,  but  since  then  it  was  used  during  the  Civil  war 
as  a  fortification,  and  now  the  basement  is  occupied  for  a 
schoolhouse  and  the  upper  stories  for  a  prison,  in  which 
are  four  hundred  inmates.  In  the  time  of  the  Civil  war 
Hidalgo  captured  it  by  stratagem,  and  after  his  death, 


A  STREET  SCENE. 


io6 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


through  revenge,  his  head  was  spiked  to  a  corner,  where 
it  remained  till  it  decayed  and  dropped  to  the  ground. 
From  its  tower  we  enjoyed  a  fine  view  of  the  city. 

Not  far  to  the  west  from  the  castle,  but  on  still  higher 
ground,  is  the  Panteon,  which  is  the  Valhalla  of  the  city, 
or  in  some  respects  it  is  similar  to  the  catacombs  of 
Naples,  Italy.  The  tombs  consist  of  vaults  above  ground, 
which  are  owned  by  the  city  and  rented  for  the  term  of 
five  years,  and  when  this  time  has  expired  what  remains 
of  the  dead  body  is  taken  out  of  the  vault  and  placed  in 
a  common  tomb  in  the  basement ;  if 
the  skeleton  is  in  a  good 


THE  PANTEON. 

state  of  preservation,  it  is  put  in  an  erect  posture  with 
throngs  of  others,  but  if  it  is  much  broken  or  decayed 
the  bones  are  packed  away  with  myriads  of  others  so 
that  their  ends  will  be  exposed  and  can  be  viewed  by 
friends  and  all  who  may  visit  the  ghastly  abode.  There 
is  not  much  choice  between  this  way  of  disposing  of  the 
dead  and  the  method  of  cremating,  which  is  practised  by 
the  Brahmins  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges. 


FROM    SAN    LUIS    POTOSI    TO    GUANAJUATO.    IO7 


We  found  a  wealth  of  paintings  in  the  churches,  and  it 
was  delightful  to  listen  to   the  sweet-toned   bells.     The 

O 

Campania,  the  leading  church,  must  have  cost  half  a 
million  of  dollars. 

In  the  upper  part  of  the  town,  or  at  the  head  of  the 
main  street,  are 
ponds,  handsome- 
ly dammed  back 
to  supply  the  city 
with  water.  Close 
by  these  are  some 
elegant  homes, 
judging  from  the 
external  appear- 
ance ;  the  patios 
and  fronts  are 

thickly  set  with  honeysuckles,  azalias,  and  hanging  flow- 
ers. How  refreshing  to  pass  from  the  wretched  works  of 
man  to  the  perfect  and  beautiful  works  of  God  ! 

The  somewhat  singular  name  of  the  city  signifies  "hill 
of  the  frogs,"  a  name  given  to  the  place  by  the  aborigi- 
nes because  of  a  vast  rocky  ledge  on  the  hill  above  the 
city  which  resembles  a  monstrous  frog,  and  was  wor- 
shipped by  the  Indians,  and  it  is  said  that  human  sacri- 
fices were  offered  to  it.  Of  course  these  ignorant  people 
were  sincere  and  did  what  they  felt  to  be  their  duty,  the 
same  as  the  Chinese  in  the  temple  of  Hanan  at  Canton 
do  in  adoring  "  sacred  hogs  "  wallowing  in  the  mire,  or  as 
the  Ainos  of  Japan  in  deifying  snakes  and  foxes,  or  Hin- 


TRAMWAY  AND  RESIDENCE. 


IO8  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

doos  in  worshiping  cows  and  monkeys.  Why,  then, 
should  we  be  surprised  that  the  Aztecs,  five  hundred 
years  ago,  or  the  Toltecs,  ten  centuries  since,  bowed 
before  idols  ? 

As  already  stated,  this  city  is  indebted  to  its  mining 
interests  for  its  rise  and  growth.  Its  origin  occurred 
after  this  manner :  some  prisoners  broke  out  of  an  old 
castle  which  stood  here  long  before  there  was  any  city. 
They  secreted  themselves  in  the  mountains  of  this  region 
and  built  fires  with  which  to  cook,  and  they  chanced  to 
discover,  after  the  fire  had  cooled  down,  white  metal, 
which  they  recognized  as  silver.  At  length  they  revealed 
the  fact  to  state  authorities,  on  condition  that  they  should 
be  set  free  and  allowed  to  work  a  part  of  the  mines  them- 
selves, which  was  granted,  and  by  so  doing  they  became 
very  rich,  and  were  the  means  of  a  city's  being  founded 
on  this  romantic  site. 

It  is  said  that  more  than  two  billions,  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars'  worth  of  silver  has  been  taken  from 
the  mines  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  What  a  vast 
amount  of  silver!  If  it  had  all  been  minted  into  dollars 
and  they  had  been  placed  in  a  single  row,  touching  one 
another,  they  would  have  reached  round  our  globe  three 
times;  or  if  one  should  have  attempted  to  count  them  at 
the  rate  of  three  dollars  a  second,  and  averaged  eight 
hours  a  day  and  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  days  in  a 
year,  it  would  have  taken  him  a  hundred  years  to  count 
them. 

Now,   after    all  this  mining,  it   is  believed  that  there 


FROM    SAN    LUIS    POTOSI    TO    GUANAJUATO. 


109 


remains  far  more  silver  to  be  taken  out  of  the  mountains 
than  has  yet  been  secured.  Thus  it  is,  the  treasures  of 
the  earth  are  inexhaustible.  Let  them  be  skilfully  worked 
with  all  the  modern  improvements  and  far  more  riches 
will  be  opened  up,  human  life  will  become  more  precious, 
and  knowledge  and  Christian  growth  will  be  greatly  ad- 
vanced. 


THE  ALHONDIGA  DE  GRANADITAS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FROM  GUANAJUATO  TO  GUADALAJARA. 

How  fortunate  it  is,  when  weary  by  seeing,  thinking, 
walking,  and  riding,  to  find  yourself,  as  the  night  comes, 
in  your  own  quarters,  which  have  been  transformed 
into  a  home  through  the  experience  of  weeks  !  What  a 
sterling  work  Mr.  Pullman  has  achieved  in  making  his 
cars  so  convenient,  commodious,  and  comfortable,  and 
putting  them  into  the  hands  of  wise  and  trusty  men,  to  be 
run  wherever  railroads  have  been  built !  So  after  an 
outing  of  extreme  interest,  we  were  glad  to  get  back  to 
our  easy  sittings,  roomy  beds,  and  our  books  and  writ- 
ing materials.  In  due  time  we  were  ready  to  be  rolled 
to  sleep,  or  lulled  to  rest  in  the  arms  of  quietness.  The 
mind  is  prepared  for  most  anything  when  crowded  with 
thrilling  memories. 

After  our  return  to  the  main  Mexican  Central  road,  we 
did  not  .continue  southward  bound  long  before  we  were 
switched  from  that  track  at  Irrapuato,  so  world-wide 
renowned  for  its  delicious  strawberries,  for  a  detour  of  a 
hundred  miles  to  the  west  among  the  Sierra  Madre  moun- 
tains, which  are  burdened  with  picturesqueness  and  sub- 
limity. This  state  is  thickly  settled  ;  it  is  said  that  nine 
tenths  of  the  Mexicans  live  on  the  highlands.  Some- 
where in  this  locality,  they  seem  to  think,  is  the  centre  of 


FROM  GUANAJUATO  TO  GUADALAJARA.       Ill 

the  earth.  They  are  wont  to  declare,  as  did  John  Her- 
schell  of  London,  that  "  It  is  the  centre  of  the  terrene 
globe."  The  old  Venitians  doted  upon  the  idea  that 
they  were  just  half  way  between  the  poles.  The  ancient 
Greeks  fancied  the  earth  to  be  a  huge  animal,  whose 
navel  was  Delphi,  so  thither  they  went  to  consult  the 
oracles.  Thus  the  people  here  boast  of  their  favorable 
location,  half  implying  that  this  is  sufficient  to  make 
themselves  great  and  powerful,  unmindful  of  the  fact 
that  it  is  the  people,  not  the  place,  that  creates  the  town, 
or  the  state.  Had  any  other  race  than  the  Anglo-Saxons 
settled  England,  would  that  little  island,  no  larger  than 
the  state  of  Georgia,  have  become  such  a  power  upon  the 
land  and  sea?  Though  so  insignificant  as  to  surface,  it 
leads  the  world  in  commerce,  manufactures,  law,  medi- 
cine, philosophy,  and  theology ;  in  short,  there  is  no  spot 
of  the  civilized  world  that  does  not  feel  her  help,  influ- 
ence, and  stimulus.  She  has  produced  a  longer  list  of 
distinguished  characters  than  all  other  lands  combined. 
Her  science  and  literature  have  a  potency  throughout 
the  world.  Her  Newton,  Shakespeare,  Milton,  Bacon, 
Carlyle,  Martineau,  Tennyson,  and  throngs  of  other 
elect,  are  in  the  van  of  civilization's  great  onward  march. 
Men  made  Greece  famous,  Palestine  sacred,  and  Egypt 
illustrious. 

Now  our  tendency  was  towards  the  Pacific  slope.  The 
region  is  fertile  and  well  cultivated.  The  buildings  of 
some  of  the  haciendas  resemble  fortresses  quite  as  much 
as  dwellings.  Two  crops  of  grain  are  grown  annually  on 


112  MEXICO:    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

many  of  the  fields  which  are  sufficiently  irrigated,  for 
water  is  the  only  fertilizer  the  soil  requires  in  order  to 
have  it  produce  a  hundred,  or  two  hundred -fold.  As  we 
advanced,  it  was  looking  out,  down,  and  up,  the  surface 
is  so  broken  in  places.  A  few  hours'  ride  brought  us  to 
the  cleanest,  brightest,  and  most  delightful  city  thus  far 
seen  in  the  country.  It  reminded  me  at  once  of  Madrid, 
Spain,  and  Milan,  Italy.  On  approaching  it,  the  train 
did  not  stop  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  but  advanced  to 
a  station  in  the  centre  of  the  population.  The  streets  and 
plazas  presented  novelties  and  attractions,  and  were  as 
clean  as  a  well-kept  house-floor.  Though  it  was  mid- 
winter, the  climate  was  springtime,  and  thus  it  is  likely 
to  be  the 'year  round.  The  surface  on  three  sides  in  the 
distance  rises  into  mountains,  but  opens  toward  the 
sunset  and  descends  to  the  Pacific.  On  the  tramway  we 
took  excursions  through  all  the  principal  parts  of  the 
city,  passing  the  cathedral,  the  governor's  palace,  the 
mint,  the  Digollado  theatre,  and  the  state  capitol.  These 
are  magnificent  specimens  of  Mexican  architecture,  whose 
models  have  all  been  borrowed  from  the  East.  The  ride 
along  the  banks  of  the  Rio  San  Juan  de  Dios  is  full  of 
fascination.  At  the  Jardin  Botanico,  we  found  flowers 
in  February  in  full  bloom,  as  we  find  them  with  us  in 
June. 

In  this  city  of  one  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  there 
are  twenty-five  churches,  twenty-five  hotels,  twenty-six 
baths,  twenty  parks  and  plazas,  fourteen  bridges,  and  five 
theatres.  It  had  no  railroad  till  1888.  It  is  some 


FROM  GUANAJUATO  TO  GUADALAJARA.    113 

what  surprising  that  a  city,  shut  in  and  so  far  separated 
from  the  outside  world,  should  have  developed  so  much 
thrift  and  permanent  growth.  This  shows  the  animus  of 
the  people.  They  have  less  of  the  Spanish  than  of  the 
Mexican  blood  coursing  their  veins ;  their  step  and  facial 
expression  manifest  activity  and  determination.  Enter 
their  stores  and  it  seems  as  though  you  were  in  mercan- 
tile establishments  of  Detroit,  or  Worcester.  All  the 
modern  farming  implements,  hardware,  dry  goods,  and 


MAIN  STREET. 

stationery,  are  similar  to  those  handled  by  our  northern 
merchants. 

The  law  school  here  ranks  high.     As  I  passed  within 
its  portals,  I  found  a  hundred  students  with  good  heads 
and   physiques,   devoted   to  the   study  of  jurisprudence. 
9 


THE  CATHEDRAL. 


FROM  GUANAJUATO  TO  GUADALAJARA.    115 

The  professors  were  marked  men  as  to  personal  appear- 
ance and  culture. 

The  cathedral  externally  is  more  like  a  church  in 
Brooklyn  or  Philadelphia  than  in  Rome  or  Valladolid. 
Its  towers  were  thrown  down  in  1818,  by  an  earthquake, 
but  these  have  been  restored  and  are  filled  with  fine-toned 
bells.  The  interior  is  elegantly  decorated,  having  many 
old  paintings  on  the  walls ;  one  is  the  "Assumption,"  by 
Murillo,  which  pays  for  going  a  long  distance  to  see  it ; 
he  so  puts  colors  upon  the  canvas  as  to  portray  in  the 
highest  degree  the  spiritual. 

It  was  sadly  unfortunate  that  the  Reformers  of  the 
north  of  Europe  made  such  havoc  among  the  pictures  and 
statues  in  the  churches  of  their  day.  They  used  unspar- 
ingly the  torch,  but  had  no  brush  or  chisel  to  reproduce. 
Protestantism,  as  yet,  has  brought  forth  no  artist  like 
Raphael  or  Rubens.  It  has  scorned  the  images  of 
prophets  and  apostles,  and  derided  the  bronze  statue  of 
St.  Peter  at  Rome,  whose  great  toe  has  been  kissed  away 
by  its  devotees. 

It  was  an  unfortunate  epoch  when  Christianity  became 
incorporated  with  the  state ;  and  after  this,  Mosheim  says, 
"  It  is  difficult  to  determine  whether  heathenism  was 
more  Christianized  than  Christianity  heathenized."  Con- 
stantine  legalized  Christianity,  and  at  once  the  politicians 
seized  upon  it,  to  make  it  their  tool,  and  have  not  let  go 
of  it  yet ;  so  two  thirds  of  Christendom  to-day  ask  if  an 
act  is  a  law,  and  if  so,  be  it  selling  liquor  or  licensing 
prostitution,  they  assent  to  it  without  stopping  to  con- 


n6 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


sider  whether  it  is  morally  right  or  not.  Accordingly, 
the  Catholic  church  allows  of  no  liberty,  civil  or  religious. 
The  word  of  Pope  or  priest  is  law  ;  accept  this  or  do  that, 
or  else  you  will  be  damned  ;  and  it  has  filled  its  church  so 
full  of  poetry,  music,  and  dazzling  art  and  sentiment  that 
it  allures  and  captivates  throngs  of  the  unthinking  and 
those  that  desire  to  gain  Elysium  without  any  effort. 

Then,  too,  the  world  has  been  so  stunned  by  the  loud 
and  many-tongued  jargon  of  sects,  it  is  not  strange  that 
multitudes  have  come  to  bow  thoughtlessly  before  the 
Virgin,  or  Mahomet,  Buddha,  or  Brahm.  Considerate 

consistency  is  a 
precious  boon.  It 
will  be  the  millen- 
nium when  Chris- 
tianity shall  have 
free  course,  and 
so  enlighten,  disci- 
pline, and  perfect 
every  soul  within 
its  pale. 

From  the  church 
I  went  to  the  pris- 
on, which  is  an 
elaborate  estab- 
lishment. The  pen- 
CHURCH  SAN  SAN  SOE.  itentiary  is  the  in- 

stitution where  society  puts  its  criminals  which  it  manu- 
factures. If  the  people  at  large  were  right  in  mind  and 


FROM  GUANAJUATO  TO  GUADALAJARA. 

heart,  they  would  not  allow  one  to  fall,  or,  certainly,  to 
wallow  in  the  mire  of  iniquity.  Wherever  the  home  is 
right,  its  children  are  right ;  wherever  the  church  is 
right,  the  members  are  right ;  and  wherever  the  state  is 
right,  its  citizens  are  right,  having  no  demand  for  jails. 
But  society,  by  far,  has  not  gained  such  vantage  ground ; 
too  few,  as  yet,  have  become  sufficiently  strong  to  return 
good  for  evil;  their  bosoms  are  too  crowded  with  passion, 
selfishness,  and  hatred.  It  is  true  that  the  world  is  better 
than  it  was.  It  is  not  so  much  given  to  thumbscrews, 
stocks,  torturing  by  piecemeal  and  burning  at  the  stake. 
On  our  approach,  the  iron-rodded  door  was  readily 
opened  and  officers  within  received  us  cordially.  Passing 
through  another  grated  door,  we  were  in  a  court  of  flow- 
ers, hieroglyphics  of  angels  dropped  at  the  feet  of  mortals 
that  they  may  look  up  and  adore  the  Giver  of  such 
beauties.  What,  said  I,  a  flower  garden  within  prison 
walls  !  I  never  had  seen  the  like  before,  and  it  recalled 
the  story  of  the  Italian  child,  laid  on  the  bed  of  death 
with  flowers  tucked  into  the  flaxen  ringlets,  and  blooming 
immortelles  placed  in  his  cold  hands  ;  he  was  thus  decked 
for  the  angels;  but  when  they  went  to  place  him  in  his 
casket,  lo !  the  sweet  child  was  playing  with  the  charming 
flowers.  So  it  seemed  that  the  inmates  here  had  awak- 
ened to  their  pristine  nature  and  could  not  help  loving 
the  flowers.  The  Persian  maiden  in  the  distant  East 
manifests  her  love  for  her  suitor  by  casting  nosegays  from 
the  housetop  in  his  way ;  while  the  Indian  of  the  Rockies 
gathers  abundant  flowers  and  casts  them  with  gladness 


n8 


MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


in  the  path  of  his  beloved.  The  cupid  of  classic  lands 
was  wont  to  tip  his  arrows  with  flowers  and  thereby 
captured  his  fairies  every  time. 

It  was  soon  made  evident  that  large  numbers  of   all 
ages  and  conditions  were  incarcerated  here;  yes,  fourteen 

hundred,  in  all ;  as  we  moved 

•MB««B^ 
among  them, 


THE  PRISON  YARD. 

we  saw  them  engaged  in  various  occupations,  mingling 
and  conversing  quite  freely  together.  This  was  unlike 
anything  I  had  seen  in  Concord  or  Richmond  prisons. 
Most  of  the  inmates  had  their  allotted  work  for  each  day, 
and  when  this  was  done  they  were  permitted  to  labor  for 


FROM  GUANAJUATO  TO  GUADALAJARA.    119 

themselves  and  have  pay  for  what  they  did,  which  was 
kept  for  them  or  given  to  their  friends,  as  they  might 
desire.  I  was  told  that  some  of  the  prisoners  had  laid 
up  in  this  way  considerable  sums  of  money ;  not  a  few  of 
them  devoted  their  leisure  time  to  working  laces  and 
needle  fabrics  and  making  curios  out  of  ivory,  bone,  and 
stone  which  were  offered  for  sale  at  low  rates. 

In  the  large  hall  thirty-seven  prisoners  with  their  brass 
instruments  and  drums  assembled  and  delighted  us  with 
several  martial  and  sentimental  pieces  of  music.  The  leader 
was  a  murderer,  but  a  pleasant  appearing  man.  Officers 
and  inmates  manifested  much  interest  in  the  band.  The 
cells,  culinary,  and  laundry  departments  were  in  good 
order.  Two  and  more  prisoners  occupy  a  cell  together. 
I  was  never  in  an  institution  of  the  kind  where  a  better 
spirit  prevailed  ;  there  were  some  three  hundred  of  them 
sentenced  for  life.  The  discipline  was  good  but  tempered 
with  brotherly  kindness.  I  could  but  feel,  if  some  of  our 
northern  institutions  should  pattern  after  this  one,  they 
would  be  improved.  The  great  panacea  for  all  the  ills  of 
life  is  love.  Too  long  the  world  has  been  trying  to  over- 
come evil  with  evil,  giving  a  blow  for  a  blow,  terminating 
in  the  worst  results.  Already  we  have  intimations  of  a 
better  time  coming ;  the  dawning  of  a  new  day  is  discov- 
erable ;  the  gleaming  of  its  sunrise  is  glorious ;  and  the 
call  of  the  Most  High  is,  "  Go  bring  my  people  out  of 
Egypt  into  the  promised  Land."  The  myriad  workers 
who  are  ushering  in  the  good  time,  are  coming  in  the 
form  of  little  children  and  the  mature  distributing  flowers 


I2O  MEXICO:    THE  WONDER  LAND. 

in  the  summer,  and  ferns  and  fruitage  in  the  autumn 
among  the  sick  and  poor  :  or  as  sweet  Mary  Howitt,  who 
turned  the  sunny  side  of  life  to  mortal  gaze  ;  or  as  Dickens, 
who  opened  the  human  heart  in  trouble  and  poverty  and 
poured  in  the  balm  of  comfort  and  healing;  or  as  Fenelon 


ENTRANCE  TO  THE  HOSPICIO. 

and  Chapin,  who  spent  themselves  to  redeem  the  lost; 
or  as  Titian,  who  painted  the  faces  of  saints  and  held 
them  before  human  eyes ;  or  as  Handel,  composing 
melodies  of  mercy  to  be  sung  through  the  ages.  Help- 
ers are  everywhere  in  God's  great  field,  preparing  for  the 


FROM  GUANAJUATO  TO  GUADALAJARA.    121 

lion   to  lie    down  with  the  lamb.     Divine  prophecy  will 
be  fulfilled. 

Another  institution  that  gladdened  the  heart  on  seeing 
it,  was  the  Hospicio,  which  is  a  home  for  the  poor  of  all 
ages.  Its  frontage  of  white  stone  is  spacious  and  attract- 
ive, and  as  you  pass  through  its  twenty-three  courts,  each 
supplied  with  a  fountain  and  parterres  of  flowers,  you 


THE  HOSPICIO. 

feel  the  sainted  might  be  entertained  here  with  thanks- 
giving. You  are  gladly  welcomed  to  the  different  apart- 
ments ;  all  looks  neat  and  in  order.  Those  in  charge 
and  their  assistants  are  kindly  in  their  demeanor,  and 
the  old  folk,  the  youths,  and  children  show  by  their  actions 
that  they  are  enjoying  a  good  home.  The  children  are 
schooled  the  same  as  they  would  be  in  villages  and  cities, 


122  MEXICO:    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

and  as  they  grow  older  they  learn  some  useful  trade,  and 
in  the  meantime  are  trained  in  carving,  drawing,  embroid- 
ery, and  art-works. 

Who  can  estimate  the  service  done  by  the  almoners 
who  support  such  an  institution  ?  Will  they  not  be 
greeted  as  they  "cross  the  river"  with  "well  done?" 
What  a  pity  it  is  that  so  many  hearts  are  sordid  and  so 
selfish  as  to  delight  in  living  in  palaces  which  overshadow 
huts,  who  care  not  to  give  the  crumbs  falling  from  their 
tables  to  appease  the  cravings  of  poverty.  Could  wealth 
be  justly  distributed,  the  poor  would  no  longer  cry  for 
bread.  Let  Peabodys  be  greatly  multiplied,  and  hospi- 
cios  will  be  scattered  far  and  wide  over  the  earth.  This 
institution  has  eight  hundred  inmates;  the  thousands 
that  have  been,  are  being,  and  shall  be  blest  by  it,  will 
bear  glad  tidings  of  the  faithful  who  have  lifted  them  out 
of  wretchedness,  as  they  go  up  higher.  Great  is  the 
reward  of  the  righteous. 

As  I  went  into  the  leading  grammar  school,  I  found 
the  teacher  and  students  wide  awake.  The  master  was 
of  Aztec  blood,  forty-five  years  of  age,  and  had  wrought 
in  the  schoolroom  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century ;  he 
was  brainy  and  so  were  most  of  his  boys.  He  asked 
what  I  would  like  to  hear  recited.  I  answered,  reading, 
and  so  his  fifty  pupils  read  around  in  Spanish  ;  the  accent 
and  expression  were  excellent ;  this  exercise  was  followed 
by  several  declamations  which  rang  with  patriotism  and 
rhetorical  fire.  The  professor's  son,  a  youth  of  fifteen 
summers,  bore  off  the  palm  from  the  stage.  There  were 


FROM  GUANAJUATO  TO  GUADALAJARA.    123 

classes  in  algebra,  geometry,  astronomy,  ancient  history, 
rhetoric,  logic,  and  Latin  aside  from  the  common  branches 
of  learning.  The  school  is  supported  by  the  government 
and  private  tuitions.  The  professor  remarked,  "  Oh,  would 
that  the  schools  here  could  have  such  support  as  they  do 
in  your  Republic  !  "  "  But,"  I  said,  "  are  you  not  making 
great  advancement  in  education  ?  "  "Oh,  yes,"  he  replied, 
"but  we  are  poor  and  have  to  struggle  very  hard  for 
what  we  get."  Several  of  the  citizens  came  into  the 
school  while  I  was  there,  showing  by  their  example  that 
they  had  decided  interest  in  the  cause  of  education. 

The  Congregational  Mission  here  is  a  great  success. 
I  was  told  that  its  church  membership  is  nearly  two 
hundred.  It  supports  schools,  and  is  prospering  in  its 
different  lines  of  work.  There  is  a  live  minister  at  the 
head  of  this  enterprise. 

This  city  is  noted  for  its  manufactures,  and  especially 
for  its  pottery  works,  which  are  on  a  large  scale.  Of 
course,  like  other  cities  in  Mexico,  its  chiefest  interest  is 
in  mining. 

It  is  particularly  famous  for  its  falls  and  natural  scen- 
ery a  few  miles  out  of  town.  The  cascade  of  Juanacatlan 
has  a  clear  leap  of  seventy-one  feet.  Its  power  has  been 
turned  to  driving  the  wheels  of  a  large  mill  and  the 
dynamos  for  lighting  the  city. 

Guadalajara,  the  capital  of  the  state  of  Jalisco,  is 
three  hundred  and  eighty-one  miles  from  the  City  of 
Mexico,  and  has  an  altitude  of  five  thousand,  eight 
hundred,  and  seventy-two  feet  above  the  sea. 


CHAPTER    X. 

FROM    GUADALAJARA    TO    TULA,  QUERETARO,   AND    THE    CITY 
OF    MEXICO. 

Our  return  to  Irapuato  was  propitious,  for  the  natives 
were  there  in  a  mass  with  their  little  baskets  of  fresh  and 
delicious  strawberries,  being  twenty-five  cents  a  basket, 
all  rounded  up  with  big  fat  ones  on  top.  The  strangers 
were  fast  at  mid-winter  to  have  a  strawberry  picnic. 
Well,  as  we  began  to  eat,  each  berry  at  first,  because  so 
delicious,  made  rapid  way  for  another.  Oh,  how  sweet 
and  tasteful  they  were  !  But  when  the  top  layers  were 
gone,  the  forthcoming  were  not  scarlet,  but  of  white  and 
green  shades,  and  acid  to  the  taste ;  as  the  middle  of  the 
baskets  was  reached,  fern  and  cabbage  leaves  occupied 
the  rest  of  the  space  ;  so  the  inexpressible  joy  to  start 
with  was  changed  to  sharp  vituperations.  This  only 
shows  that  people,  the  world  over,  are  somewhat  alike- 
Everywhere,  to  say  the  least,  there  are  not  a  few  who 
are  bound  to  get  something  for  nothing ;  accordingly,  the 
dry  goods  merchant  will  sell  a  pattern,  as  ample  and  all 
silk,  when  he  knows  it  is  scant  and  the  woof  is  cotton  ; 
the  dealer  in  coal  will  give  you  a  short  ton  for  a  long 
one ;  the  miller  will  take  out  two  quarts  of  toll,  when  he 
has  no  right  to  but  one. 

Ah !  "  the  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil."     Use 


TULA,  QUERETARO,  AND    CITY    OF    MEXICO.    125 

money,  but  banish  the  love  of  it,  and  then  it  will  no  longer 
cripple,  defile,  and  abrade  the  noblest  powers  of  man. 
Millionaires  nowadays  are  in  high  repute,  and  control 
the  offices  of  state.  They  are  honored,  not  for  their 
manhood,  but  for  their  money.  O  money!  money!  how 
blindly  thou  hast  been  worshiped  and  how  stupidly 
abused !  I  ween,  that  when  one  comes  to  the  gate  ajar, 
he  will  not  be  asked,  How  much  wealth  have  you  brought  ? 
but  rather,  How  much  character?  How  much  virtue, 
knowledge,  love  of  God  and  man  do  you  possess  ?  If 
men  could  only  see  this  subject  in  the  right  light,  they 
would  not  barter  their  souls  for  trash  and  render  them- 
selves skeletons  of  moral  worth. 

A  night's  ride  landed  us  in  the  morning  at  Quere'taro, 
a  quaint  old  town  ;  its  history  reaches  back  to  the  Tol- 
tecs,  Aztecs,  the  invasion  of  the  Spaniards,  and  none  can 
tell  how  much  farther. 

Mr.  Ruskin  said  that  he  did  not  care  to  travel  in 
America,  for  it  had  no  history,  but  should  he  come  here, 
he  would  find  antiquities  more  ancient  than  any  in  Great 
Britain.  Here  it  is  said  that  an  Otimite  chief  four  cen- 
turies ago  challenged  the  people  to  a  "  fair  fist  and  skull 
fight,"  to  decide  whether  they  should  become  Christians, 
or  remain  pagans ;  if  conquered,  they  were  to  be  bap- 
tized into  the  new  faith,  otherwise  they  were  to  remain 
as  they  were.  Here  a  truce  was  struck  in  1848  between 
the  United  States  and  Mexico.  Here  Maximilian  made 
his  last  stand  and  surrendered  in  1867. 

We  were  scarcely  out  of  the  cars  before  we  were  beset 


126 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


OPAL  VENDERS. 

with  crowds  of  men  and  women,  boys  and  girls,  who 
were  taking  hurriedly  from  their  pockets,  or  some  private 
place,  little  black  wads  containing  opals,  and  as  quick  as 
thought,  these  would  be  opened  into  their  palms,  spark- 
ling red,yellow,blue,  and  white ;  holding  them  out  to  us,  they 
would  ask,  "  How  much  will  you  give  ?"  It  was  necessary 
to  be  cautious,  for  these  gems  are  exceedingly  captiva- 
ting, and  the  inexperienced  are  prone  to  bid  too  high  at 
first  sight,  not  realizing  that  nine  tenths  of  those  thus 
offered  for  sale  are  defective  ;  those  having  the  genuine 
opals  do  not  approach  strangers  in  any  such  way ;  they 
gain  access  to  them  through  some  official,  or  authorita- 
tive individual.  From  the  wonderful  display  of  these 


TULA.   QUERETARO,  AND    CITY    OF    MEXICO.    127 

precious  stones,  it  would  seem  as  though  there  must  be 
quarries  near-by  in  which  they  might  be  picked  up  by 
the  handfuls.  But  you  inquire  whence  they  come 
and  they  will  answer,  "  From  the  mines,"  but  ask  where 
the  mines  are  and  they  will  be  so  indefinite  in  their 
reply  that  you  cannot  tell  whether  they  are  in  the  Pacific 
ocean  or  on  the  summit  of  Orizaba. 

As  this  rage  subsided,  the  next  exciting  topic  was 
about  a  visit  to  Cerro  de  las  Campanas,  two  miles  out  of 
the  city  to  the  spot  marking  the  place  where  Maximilian, 
Mirimon,  and  Mejia  were  shot  the  nineteenth  of  June, 
1867. 

The  railroad  station  is  just  outside  of  the  city,  and  the 
cabmen  were  here  in  scores,  and  soon  we  were  crowded 
into  their  vehicles  and  were  on  our  way  to  the  historic 
place.  In  sections  the  road  was  sand,  then  cobble- 
stones, and  then  grass.  As  we  were  making  haste  slowly, 
I  was  surprised  to  discover  in  the  distance  an  immense 


ENTERING  QUERETERG. 


128 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


stone  aqueduct  stretching  across  the  Campanas,  remind- 
ing me  at  once  of  the  one  extending  across  the  Campagna 
from  the  Alban  mountains  to  Rome.  If  this  one  is  not 
as  long,  it  is  as  grand.  It  was  the  gift  of  one  man  to  the 
city;  and  what  a  bestowment !  No  other  blessing  can 
equal  water  to  the  thirsty.  The  canal,  that  conveys  the 


A  MODERN  CART. 

water,  rests  upon  a  large  number  of  arches,  from  a  few 
feet  to  ninety  feet  high ;  it  was  twenty  years  in  building 
and  cost  a  great  sum  of  money.  As  we  were  passing, 
the  city  looked  somewhat  dilapidated,  as  if  the  people 
had  gone  to  sleep  in  Rip  Van  Winkle  fashion. 

From  their  speed   I   judged  that  the  horses,  or  mules, 
were  not  familiar  with  oats  or  corn  ;  but  after  a  long  and 


TULA,   QUERETARO,    AND    CITY    OF    MEXICO. 

rough  ride,  we  alighted  and  were  in  front  of  three  red 
sandstone  blocks  rising  some  five  feet  above  the  ground, 
marking  the  spots  where  the  three  prisoners  stood  as 
they  were  shot.  The  railing  about  the  memorials  has 
been  broken  down  and  vandal  hands  have  chipped 
pieces  from  the  monuments.  Here  Maximilian  had  his 
last  fortification  and  withstood  the  opposing  force  as 
long  as  possible,  and  finally  gave  himself  up ;  therefore, 
the  republicans  felt  that  this  was  a  fit  spot  for  his  exe- 
cution. 

How  true  it  is  that  like  begets  like  !  Maximilian  had 
issued  a  decree  that  every  officer  taken  in  arms  against 
his  self-assumed  authority,  should  be  shot.  Some  of 
the  best  souls  of  the  country,  being  honestly  arrayed 
against  him,  were  captured  and  put  to  death  without  any 
clemency  being  shown  ;  thus  it  was  with  the  generals 
Arteaga,  Salaya,  Willagomez,  and  Felix  Diaz.  So  when 
Maximilian  was  overcome,  how  could  he  expect  to  escape 
the  punishment  of  the  rebellious  which  he  himself  had 
instituted?  How  did  Maximilian  come  to  be  here,  for 
he  was  an  Austrian  by  birth  and  education  ?  Well,  after 
the  independence  of  Mexico  was  gained  by  Juarez  and 
much  of  the  property  of  the  Roman  church  had  been 
confiscated,  the  priests  throughout  the  country  were 
greatly  enraged. 

They  realized  that  they  had  lost  their  temporal  power 
to  a  large  extent,  and  were  exceedingly  desirous  to  regain 
it.  This  transaction  took  place  about  the  beginning  of 
our  Civil  War,  and  the  priests  made  a  strenuous  appeal 


I3O  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

to  Pius  IX  to  change  this  order  of  things  ;  he  referred 
the  matter  immediately  to  Napoleon  III.;  and.  he  soon 
gave  it  as  his  best  judgment  that  the  only  way  to  settle 
the  matter  satisfactorily  and  restore  Catholic  power  in 
that  country,  was  to  establish  a  Catholic  empire  there, 
and  he  gave  assurance  that  he  was  ready  to  lend  his  aid 
to  such  an  end.  He  evidently  would  not  have  attempted 
to  do  any  such  thing,  had  our  country  not  been  engaged 
in  a  trying  Civil  War.  The  Pope  gladly  fell  in  with  this 
project  and  pronounced  his  heartiest  benediction  upon  it. 
The  next  question  was,  Who  is  the  man  to  go  to  Mexico 
and  usurp  the  authority  over  the  people  and  establish 
there  an  empire  ?  After  looking  round  and  searching  for 
the  right  man,  Napoleon  and  the  Pope  settled  upon 
Maximilian,  then  in  the  prime  of  life,  of  fine  personal 
appearance  and  a  devoted  Catholic.  As  the  subject 
was  presented  to  him,  he  was  inclined  to  consider  it 
favorably,  being  ambitious,  somewhat  weak  mentally,  and 
withal,  vain.  Soon  he  decided  to  accept  the  venture,  after 
receiving  the  most  solemn  promise  from  the  French  Em- 
peror and  the  Roman  Pontiff  that  they  would  guarantee 
him  all  the  military  and  financial  aid  which  he  should 
need.  Maximilian  had  but  a  small  property  of  his  own, 
and  so  large  sums  of  money  were  raised  for  him  in 
France,  Italy,  and  Austria,  to  fit  out  in  a  royal  manner 
the  would-be  emperor  and  his  beautiful  and  accom- 
plished Carlotta  for  their  new  and  surprising  mission  ; 
for  surprising  it  would  be  to  the  whole  world  to  have  an 
empire  established  on  the  Western  continent. 


TULA,  QUERETARO,  AND    CITY    OF    MEXICO.    131 

As  soon  as  they  were  equipped,  they  started,  accom- 
panied by  a  strong  French  military  force.  In  due  time 
they  landed  in  the  forlorn  country  and  proceeded  im- 
mediately to  the  City  of  Mexico,  where  they  raised  their 
standard  and  Maximilian  declared  himself  emperor  of 
the  country,  thus  supplanting  President  Juarez.  Of 
course  the  people  were  dazed  by  such  a  procedure,  and 
did  at  first  seem  to  submit  to  the  apparently  inevitable. 
But  it  was  not  long  before  the  intelligent  and  patriotic 
citizens  began  to  apprehend  what  the  result  would  be ; 
they  could  see  that  it  meant  severe  taxation  and  really 
serfdom.  Upon  this  the  republicans  rallied  and  felt  to 
resent  the  usurpation  ;  soon  strifes  and  war  began.  For 
a  while  it  did  appear  as  though  an  empire  would  be 
established.  The  Pope  and  Napoleon  were  keeping  their 
pledges.  New  recruits  were  coming  from  France  as 
circumstances  required  ;  the  self-declared  emperor  felt 
secure  with  his  military  backing. 

All  this  while,  our  Civil  War  was  in  progress ;  Napoleon 
was  taking  advantage  of  this  fact,  but  as  soon  as  Lee 
gave  up  his  sword  to  Grant,  Secretary  Seward  wrote  Na- 
poleon that  the  French  army  must  immediately  be  with- 
drawn from  Mexico,  or  the  United  States  would  send  an 
army  down  there  to  drive  them  out ;  and  the  French 
forces  were  without  delay  withdrawn  and  recalled  to 
France,  leaving  Maximilian  in  a  deplorable  condition. 
He  packed  up  at  once,  withdrawing  from  the  capital  for 
Vera  Cruz  with  the  intention  of  abandoning  the  country ; 
but  while  on  his  way,  Carlotta  prevailed  on  him  to  return 


132  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

to  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  she  would  proceed  in  haste 
to  beseech  personally  Napoleon  and  the  Pope  to  be  true 
to  their  promises.  She  believed  her  intercessions  would 
stimulate  them  to  renewed  duty  and  assistance,  which 
would  enable  her  dear  husband  to  succeed  in  his  under- 
taking. Upon  this  Maximilian  went  back  to  the  City  of 
Mexico  to  await  the  result  of  his  wife's  meeting  with  the 
distinguished  dignitaries.  But  on  her  arrival  at  Paris 
and  Rome  she  found  Emperor  and  Pope  deaf  to  her 
prayers  and  intercessions,  and  was  really  expelled  from 
the  Palace  and  the  Vatican.  By  such  treatment  she  was 
driven  to  distraction  and  soon  lost  her  reason.  As  she 
did  not  return  or  communicate  with  Maximilian,  he  in- 
ferred that  she  must  be  dead  and  labored  under  this 
mistake  to  the  last,  and  she  never  has  known  the  fate  of 
her  husband. 

After  Maximilian  was  shot,  his  body  was  taken  to  the 
convent  of  the  Capuchins,  and  subsequently  to  Austria 
and  buried  at  Miramar;  and  dejected  Carlotta  is  passing 
the  remnant  of  her  days  in  an  insane  asylum  ; — both  verily 
martyrs,  cruelly  forsaken  by  those  who  should  have  been 
to  the  last  steadfast  friends. 

Our  noble  Lincoln  did  his  best  to  save  the  life  of 
Maximilian,  and  Princess  Salm  Salm,  known  in  our  Re- 
bellion, rode  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  to  San  Luis 
Potosi  to  implore  President  Juarez  to  spare  his  life,  but 
all  was  of  no  avail.  The  president  felt  that  the  safety  of 
his  Republic  was  at  stake.  Death-blows  had  been  struck 
at  it.  He  sincerely  believed  that  if  the  life  of  the  usurper 


TULA,   QUERETARO,  AND    CITY    OF    MEXICO.     133 

of  his  country  should  be  spared,  its  peace  and  pros- 
perity would  be  incessantly  harassed  and,  perchance, 
eventually  destroyed.  So  from  sense  of  duty  and  love 
for  his  native  land,  he  could  not  commute  the  sentence 
of  death,  considerately  pronounced  by  judge,  and  ap- 
proved by  the  distinguished  General  Escobedo.  After 
the  lapse  of  twenty-nine  years,  public  opinion  generally 
justifies  the  course  pursued  by  President  Juarez. 

From  "  Bell  Hill,"  a  short  distance  above  the  place  of 
execution,  I  enjoyed  a  fine  prospect  over  the  diversified 
country.  Here  Maximilian  had  his  last  fortification,  and 
bravely  held  out  till  he  was  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  his 
enemies,  and  then  he  graciously  submitted  to  his  fate. 

From  this  hill  we  return  to  the  city  and  visit  the  Ytur- 
bide  theatre,  where  the  court  martial  was  held  and  then 
to  the  state  capitol,  where  I  saw  the  table  on  which  the 
death-warrant  was  signed,  the  wooden  stools  on  which 
the  prisoners  sat  during  the  trial,  which  opened  at  ten 
o'clock  in  the  forenoon  and  ended  at  ten  in  the  evening, 
and  the  coffin  in  which  the  body  of  Maximilian  was 
placed  until  it  was  shipped  to  Europe.  In  the  convent 
of  the  Capuchins  I  saw  the  room  in  which  the  prisoners 
were  confined  while  waiting  for  their  trial,  and  went  into 
the  plaza  close  by  where  Maximilian  was  wont  to  exer- 
cise. As  the  besiegers  learned  this  fact  and  that  he  was 
accustomed  to  sit  by  a  musical  fountain,  they  adjusted 
their  cannon  so  as  to  drop  balls  upon  the  spot,  hoping 
to  destroy  the  prisoner  but  failed  of  that,  yet  did  break 
in  pieces  the  beautiful  statue  above  the  fountain. 


134  MEXICO:  THE  WONDER  LAND. 

How  true  it  is  that  war  neither  knows  any  pity  nor 
shows  any  mercy.  After  the  sentence  was  pronounced 
Maximilian  pleaded  from  the  depths  of  his  soul  that  the 
sentence  of  his  generals  might  be  commuted,  but  accepted 
willingly  his  own  sentence.  His  three  years  in  Mexico 
had  been  full  of  trouble  and  disappointment,  and  no 
doubt,  was  so  jejune  and  jaded  that  he  was  willing  to 
depart.  By  his  own  accord  at  the  time  of  his  execution, 
he  laid  his  hand  upon  his  heart,  signifying  to  his  slay- 
ers where  to  aim;  and  as  the  order  was  given  "fire," 
Maximilian  fell,  and  thus  ended  his  turmoils  upon  the 
earth. 

The  alameda,  on  one  side  of  the  city,  is  a  charming 
resort,  shaded  with  palms,  banana,  and  scarlet  hibiscus 
trees  ;  rose  bushes  and  shrubbery  are  plentiful.  The 
buildings  of  the  city  are  worn  and  patched  ;  however, 
some  of  them  have  been  recently  stained  or  painted,  but 
the  old  shows  through  the  new,  presenting  a  worse  as- 
pect than  those  that  have  not  been  touched.  Who  ever 
saw  an  old  fence  whitewashed,  which  was  improved  by 
the  process  ?  For  years  nature  had  been  bleaching  it 
with  sunshine,  the  winds  had  been  polishing  it,  the 
lichens  had  been  putting  beauty  spots  upon  it,  wild  Mow- 
ers had  been  growing  up  and  kissing  it,  and  vines  had 
been  hiding  its  deformity.  What  rustic  beauty  it  would 
throw  up  to  every  passer-by !  But  daub  it  over  with 
liquid  and  lime  and  what  a  botch  and  offence  it  becomes 
to  refined  taste ! 

In  this  city  of  fifty  thousand  inhabitants,  there  are  forty- 


TULA,  QUERETARO,  AND    CITY  OF    MEXICO.     135 

six  places  of  worship.  From  this  fact  Artemas  Ward 
would  infer  that  the  people  go  to  meeting  some.  As  I 
saw  the  priests  in  the  cathedral  and  the  Santa  Clara 
church,  at  the  altars,  in  the  confessional  boxes,  dodging 
in  and  out  of  the  tribunes,  I  concluded  that  the  city 
must  be  well  stocked  with  ministers  ;  yet  I  could  but  re- 
call the  statement  saying  that  where  priests  abound,  beg- 
gars also  abound. 

I  went  into  a  school,  in  which  I  found  female  as  well 
as  male  teachers.  I  was  glad  to  be  apprised  of  the  fact 
that  the  people  are  learning  that  women  can  teach  suc- 
cessfully. The  method  of  instruction  was  similar  to  that 
in  other  schools  to  which  I  have  referred. 

It  would  appear  that  the  chief  business  of  the  young 
and  old  is  selling  opals  ;  the  rich  and  poor  are  engaged 
in  it ;  beautiful  senoritas  and  wrinkled  dames  indulge  in 
the  luxury. 

Considerable  attention  is  given  to  manufacturing  cot- 
ton goods,  leather  wares,  pottery,  and  sugar.  Out  two 
miles  from  the  city  is  the  Hercules  Cotton  factory,  which 
requires  a  two-hundred  horse-power  engine  and  an  over- 
shot wheel  fifty  feet  in  diameter  to  drive  the  machinery. 
In  its  different  departments  fourteen  hundred  hands  are 
employed,  a  large  majority  being  women,  receiving  from 
twenty  to  forty  cents  a  day.  The  establishment  has  long 
been  under  the  charge  of  the  Rubio  family.  It  is  won- 
derfully well  managed  ;  the  buildings  and  machinery  are 
modern  and  of  the  most  improved  styles.  The  yards  and 
surroundings  are  delightful.  Nature  has  bestowed  her 


136  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

beauties  without  stint,  and  human  art  has  done  its  best 
in  ornamenting  the  hills  and  vales  with  flowers,  shrub- 
bery, and  trees. 

These  are  the  most  famous  mills  in  the  whole  country. 
The  cotton  used  is  partly  grown  in  Mexico  and  partly  in 
the  Southern  states.  The  fibre  of  the  home  cotton  is 
longer  but  not  so  fine  and  soft  as  that  produced  in  Louisi- 
ana and  Georgia.  In  the  yard  fronting  the  mills  is  a 
colossal  statue  of  Hercules  which  cost  fourteen  thou- 
sand dollars  in  Italy.  The  art-works  connected  with  this 
mill  must  impart  a  decidedly  healthful  and  aesthetic  influ- 
ence and  culture  to  the  operatives,  as  they  of  necessity 
come  in  contact  with  them.  The  mills  of  Lowell  and 
Lawrence  present  no  such  attractions  as  are  enjoyed 
here.  Are  not  our  people  too  remiss  in  giving  attention 
to  aesthetic  training  and  adorning  house  lawns,  mill 
yards,  school  grounds,  and  public  parks  ? 

As  we  came  out  of  the  mills,  we  were  met  by  throngs  of 
opal  venders  who  had  footed  it  from  the  city  for  their 
last  chance  to  sell  this  party  of  Americans  their  precious 
treasures,  which  are  more  valuable  to  them  than  diamonds 
would  be  from  Golconda,  or  rubies  from  Giamschid,  or 
sapphires  from  Ormuzd,  or  pearls  from  Ophir.  It  struck 
me  as  odd  that  not  one  of  these  traders  should  have  an 
opal  in  finger-ring,  breastpin,  or  bracelet  on  his  own  per- 
son ;  but  on  inquiry  I  learned  that  though  the  ancients 
looked  upon  opals  as  harbingers  of  good  fortune,  yet  by 
some  device  the  modern  Mexicans  have  come  to  regard 
them  as  presaging  evil ;  therefore,  they  will  not  wear 


TULA,  QUERETARO,    AND    CITY  OF    MEXICO.     137 

them,  but  delight  in  selling  them  to  foreigners,  regardless 
of  consequences.  It  makes  a  deal  of  difference  whose 
ox  is  goaded. 

Good  opals  bring  from  ten  to  ten  hundred  dollars  each, 
according  to  size  and  quality.  Before  bidding  adieu  to 
Queretaro  most  of  our  party  invested  more  or  less  in  the 
fiery  stones. 

The  Mexicans  like  the  Yankees,  though  they  did  whip 
them  badly  in  1848,  for  they  are  always  ready  to  invest 
some  capital  in  their  products,  yet  they  declare  them  to 
be  sharpers  and  able  to  see  through  a  grindstone  without 
a  hole  in  it. 

Well,  we  have  got  within  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of 
the  City  of  Mexico,  and  have  not  been  half  eaten  up,  as 
we  expected,  by  fleas,  mosquitos,  spiders,  and  all  sorts  of 
vermin,  before  we  had  proceeded  far  within  the  tropics ; 
but,  as  yet,  we  have  not  been  tortured  by  any  four-legged 
or  many-legged  creatures.  Our  chiefest  trials  have  been 
with  bipeds.  Even  flies  have  been  scarce,  so  our  insect 
powder,  tar  preparation,  pennyroyal,  and  salve  for  bites, 
put  up  with  extreme  care,  have  not  been  uncorked.  Dis- 
tance does  sometimes  lend  charms,  and  then  again  it 
breeds  scares.  It  is  true  that  we  have  experienced  the 
greatest  variety  of  odors,  running  all  the  way  from  the 
most  offensive  to  the  sweetest  perfumes;  however,  when 
disturbed  with  stenches,  we  have  this  to  console  us,  that 
nature  makes  use  of  the  offensive  odors,  and  so  converts 
them  at  length  into  growing  the  rose  and  lily.  Were  we 
sufficiently  wise  we  could  solve  the  most  difficult  prob- 


138  MEXICO  !     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

lems    and    come   to     understand     clearly   how    good   is 
brought  out  of  apparent   evil. 

A  ride  of  one  hundred  miles,  partly  by  day  and  partly 
by  night,  lands  us  at  Tula,  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  the 
whole  country.  The  Toltecs  rendered  it  noted,  and  the 
Aztecs  made  it  a  capital  city.  Ruins  of  grand  old  tem- 
ples are  here.  The  ancient  city  was  a  mile  across  a 


VIEW  AT  TULA. 

stone  bridge,  which  was  built  long  before  a  quarry  in 
New  England  rung  with  drills  and  hammers.  The  ruins 
are  more  striking  than  those  of  Tyre,  or  Capernaum  ; 
among  them  are  a  large  stone  baptismal  fountain,  and  a 
sacrificial  stone  on  which  priests  were  wont  to  lay  victims, 
cutting  out  their  hearts  and  holding  them  up  to  the  gaze 
of  imagined  divinities. 


TULA,   QUERETARO,  AND    CITY  OF    MEXICO.     139 

The  modern  village  of  some  three  thousand  people 
has  its  attractions,  but  the  place  is  sought  by  tourists  for 
the  old,  not  the  new.  Ancient  ruins  are  full  of  transport ; 
yea,  there  is  something  bewitching  about  them.  Peculiar 
enchantment  broods  over  the  prison  in  which  Socrates 
drank  the  fatal  cup,  over  the  pyramid  of  Cheops  in  which 
the  bones  and  flesh  of  the  mighty  Pharaoh  were  securely 
treasured,  over  the  tomb  of  Cyrus  the  Great,  at  Persepo- 
lis,  and  the  mosque  at  Hebron,  under  which  the  remains 
of  Abraham  and  Sarah,  Isaac  and  Rebecca,  were  in- 
terred. 

Tula  is  fifty  miles  from  the  present  capital  city.  The 
towns  now  along  the  railroad  are  more  frequent  than  for- 
merly, the  highways  are  broader  and  kept  in  better  repair, 
and  the  land  is  more  generally  cultivated.  Though  the 
present  altitude  is  above  seven  thousand  feet,  it  is  gradu- 
ally rising ;  the  mountains  are  multiplying  in  number 
and  in  grandeur ;  these  are  the  winnowers  of  the  purest 
air  ;  and  of  all  sweet  things,  the  sweetest  is  pure  mountain 
air  ;  it  encloses  us  below,  around,  and  above,  as  no  Aph- 
rodite could  do ;  the  dome  of  the  sky  here  is,  as  it  were, 
a  great  bell-flower  drooping  all  about  us,  filling  the  whole 
space  with  the  purest  fragrance  and  vitalization.  The 
sights  of  the  morning  below,  beyond,  and  above,  are  so 
strangely  beautiful  that  they  seem  to  be  bathed  in  the 
glimmers  and  glories  of  the  Apotheosis. 

The  influence  of  a  great  city  is  likely  to  extend  far  out 
into  the  country,  often  rendering  the  suburbs  far  more 
attractive  than  its  centres.  Men  hived  in  cities,  burdened 


140 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


with  business,  long  for  the  rest  and  quiet  of  the  country, 
and  so  they  erect  the  villa,  the  mansion,  the  beautiful 
residence,  and  the  rustic  cottage,  out  twenty,  thirty,  and 
fifty  miles,  whither  they  go  for  sleep  and  recuperation. 
Thus  it  is  along  this  road,  thereby  scattering  the  taste, 
refinement,  and  influence  of  the  city  over  the  country. 


AROUND  THE  WELL  (SAN  Luis  POTOSI). 


CHAPTER   XI. 

THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO. 

Oh,  the  bright  mornings  in  Mexico,  how  they  kept  mul- 
tiplying !  The  feeling  during  the  night  that  we  should  be 
in  the  metropolis  of  the  land  between  seven  and  eight 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  somehow  seemed  to  dispel 
sleep  at  the  day-dawn  earlier  than  usual,  and  so  we  were 
on  the  lookout  before  the  sun  shot  his  effulgence  over  the 
mountains.  The  peons  were  bestirring  themselves,  and 
many  were  tramping,  or  riding  burros,  all  facing  the 
south,  which  was  a  guaranty  that  we  were  fast  approach- 
ing the  anticipated  city.  Some  of  the  dusky-skinned 
people  were  white  robed  and  laden  with  flowers,  as  if 
bound  for  a  feast  or  a  gala  time.  Soon  across  the  wide 
vista,  towards  the  snow-crowned  Ixtaccihuatl  and  Popo- 
catepetl an  exquisite  circular  valley  was  before  us,  per- 
haps forty  miles  in  diameter,  rimmed  with  mountains  and 
dotted  with  lakes,  clumps  of  tropical  woods,  barren 
ridges,  maguey  fields,  and  alfalfa  meadows. 

As  the  sun  peered  over  the  wondrous  heights,  he  lit  up 
spires,  domes,  and  the  buff  walls  of  a  great  city ;  never- 
theless, it  is  small  when  compared  with  New  York  or 
London,  having  only  four  hundred  thousand  inhabitants. 
As  we  rolled  gradually  into  the  city,  it  became  apparent 
that  it  was  in  the  basin  of  the  valley  and  naturally  enough 


142  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

might  be  the  bed  of  a  lake.  Who  knows  but  pelefits,  or 
lake-dwellers,  builded  here  first  a  lustrine  city  above  the 
water  and  at  length  were  expelled  by  the  Toltecs  who 
drove  down  spiling  and  built  close  to  the  water,  whose 
streets  were  canals  similar  to  those  in  Venice,  and  that 
the  Toltecs  were  eventually  succeeded  by  the  Aztecs,  who 
still  made  use  of  spilings  for  a  foundation,  and  yet  in 
places  filled  the  lake  with  earth  and  put  bridges  across 
the  canals,  and  as  Cortez  conquered  the  Aztecs  and  the 
Spaniards  took  possession  of  the  city,  they  continued  to 
fill  up  the  lake,  that  the  site  of  their  city  might  be  dry 
land  ?  However,  the  filling  up  never  had  been  a  perfect 
success,  because  in  flood  time  the  city  would  be  drenched, 
making  many  of  the  dwellings  mere  sinks  to  hold  water 
and  mud.  Up  to  within  a  year  the  city  had  no  drainage, 
but  a  canal  has  been  completed  at  an  enormous  expense, 
which  will  drain  the  lakes  and  so  relieve  the  city  from 
being  overflowed,  and  from  extreme  unhealthiness,  which 
has  doubled  the  death-rate  to  what  it  is  in  Boston. 

The  whistle  blows,  the  bell  rings,  the  brakes  are  tight- 
ened, and  lo,  we  are  in  the  City  of  Mexico  !  As  we  were 
about  to  leave  the  cars,  a  messenger  entering  advised  us 
to  tarry  where  we  were  for  an  hour,  to  witness  a  display, 
unexpected  and  sorrowful,  for  the  death  of  our  United 
States  minister,  plenipotentiary,  had  been  announced, 
and  that  his  remains  were  to  be  escorted  by  the  Mexican 
officials  and  soldiery  to  this  depot,  arriving  here  at  nine 
o'clock;  he  furthermore  said,  if  we  should  continue  where 
we  were,  we  would  have  the  opportunity  of  seeing  a  rare 


144  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

manifestation  of  sorrow.  Accordingly,  we  tarried,  and 
just  before  the  specified  hour  arrived,  muffled  drums 
were  beating  and  a  funeral  dirge  was  being  played 
in  subdued  tones.  The  bands  were  being  followed  by 
five  thousand  cavalry,  infantry,  and  artillery  elegantly 
equipped ;  then  came  the  hearse  and  a  profusion  of 
flowers,  the  near  relatives,  the  president,  his  cabinet, 
foreign  state  officials,  and  thousands  of  Mexicans,  to  pay 
respect  to  a  noble  man  who  had  suddenly  fallen  by  death. 
The  body  was  tenderly  borne  to  a  state  car  by  foreign 
ministers  under  the  direction  of  President  Diaz  ;  cannons 
were  fired  ;  all  the  high  officials  bade  the  bereaved  family, 
as  they  were  seated  in  the  cars,  a  sympathizing  good-by 
and  the  immense  cortege  slowly  and  orderly  returned  to 
the  Alameda  and  the  palace. 

Never  did  I  witness  before,  where  there  were  so  great  a 
martial  display  and  promiscuous  crowds,  such  stillness  and 
unmistakable  solemnity,  showing  that  the  nations  are  be- 
coming more  allied  and  desirous  to  help  bear  one 
another's  sorrows  and  burdens.  Certainly,  it  would  seem 
that  the  good  time  is  hastening,  when  the  nations  will 
beat  their  swords  into  plowshares  and  their  spears  into 
pruning  hooks. 

When  the  solemnities  were  concluded,  we  took  the 
tramway  for  the  Alameda,  Mayor  Plaza,  and  then  for  the 
Iturbide  hotel,  where  we  were  to  eat  and  sleep  while  in 
the  city.  The  Alameda  is  an  oblong  square  having  an 
area  of  forty  acres,  and  was  so  named  from  alamos  sig- 
nifying poplar.  In  Spain  the  alamedas  are  ornamented 


THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  145 

with  poplar  trees  ;  this  one  is  planted  out  with  a  variety 
of  trees,  cut  up  by  walks  bordered  with  shrubbery  and 
flowers,  and  is  supplied  with  fountains,  an  elegant  band- 
stand, and  many  seats.  In  places,  interesting  relics  of  the 
Toltecs  and  Aztecs  may  be  discovered  by  moving  aside 
the  drooping  branches  of  trees.  This  square  is  to 
Mexico  what  Hyde  Park  is  to  London,  or  Boston  Com- 
mon is  to  Boston,  being  really  the  lungs  to  the  metropolis 
and  the  pride  of  the  citizens ;  it  is  a  special  resort  for 
priests,  students,  and  in  short  for  all  kinds  of  people. 

The  city  was  laid  out  to  be  three  miles  square,  the  sides 
running  parallel  with  the  cardinal  points.  The  main 
streets  centre  at  the  Mayor  Plaza,  and  these  are  crossed 
by  avenues  at  right  angles.  The  commercial  buildings 
and  dwellings  on  the  principal  streets  are  from  two  to 
three  stories  high,  nearly  all  the  houses  enclosing  a  court- 
yard, adorned  with  fountains  and  blooming  plants,  where 
the  children  can  sport  in  safety.  Large  windows  open 
from  the  rooms  upon  these  yards,  and  others  in  the 
second  and  third  stories  look  out  upon  the  streets,  fur- 
nished with  balustrades  of  iron,  often  gilded  and  finished 
with  beautiful  trappings.  Here  the  women  of  the  house 
are  wont  to  sit  and  watch  what  is  going  on  in  the  streets. 
The  homes  of  the  rich  are  on  a  magnificent  scale  of 
luxury ;  arched  driveways  lead  into  the  courts,  whose 
flooring  is  usually  marble;  the  carpets,  tables,  chairs,  and 
candelabra  are  superb.  The  matrons  have  any  number 
of  servants  to  respond  at  the  clap  of  the  hand.  The 
basements  are  used  for  storing  carriages,  stabling  domestic 


BOYS    IN   THE   Al.MEDA. 


THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  147 

animals,  and  for  servants'  quarters.  When  the  brazen 
gates  opening  into  the  streets  are  closed,  the  family  are 
about  as  much  secluded  as  they  would  be  in  the  country. 

Often  the  palatial  residence  overtops  a  miserable  hut 
consisting  of  four  walls  of  dried  mud,  with  a  floor  of  the 
same  material,  in  which  the  furniture  consists  of  a  few 
pieces  of  crockery  for  cooking  and  eating,  a  brush  for 
sweeping,  water  jars,  baskets,  some  maguey  matting  for 
beds;  there  is  no  fireplace  or  chimney;  when  they  cook 
they  lay  a  bundle  of  mesquite  fagots  on  the  floor,  firing 
it  they  bake  their  tortillas  or  flat  cakes  ;  the  smoke,  of 
course,  pervades  the  whole  house.  Their  zarapes  and 
rebosas  are  shawls  by  day  and  their  only  coverlets  by 
night. 

The  merchants  represent  many  different  nationalities, 
the  Germans  and  French  being  conspicuous.  Some  of 
the  stores  are  on  a  large  scale.  Under  the  arcades  the 
natives  have  their  piles  of  goods,  and  are  always  on  the 
alert  for  trade. 

Pulque  saloons  occupy  prominent  corners  of  the  streets, 
numbering  two  thousand  in  the  city,  selling  a  million 
gallons  of  pulque  daily;  though  so  much  of  this  stimulant 
is  drank,  it  is  seldom  that  a  drunken  person  is  seen  in 
public. 

The  streets  bear  the  names  of  gods  and  men,  and  are 
confusing  in  their  nomenclature  to  strangers.  Had  the 
Mexicans  tried  their  best  to  render  them  difficult  to 
understand,  they  could  not  have  been  more  successful. 
Then  a  deal  of  fancy  must  have  been  exercised  in  apply- 


148 


MEXICO  I     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


ing  names  to  their  shops  and  stores.  Some  of  their  signs 
are  ridiculous  enough  to  make  a  dying  man  laugh,  should 
he  chance  to  read  them,  being  such  as,  "  The  Fountain  of 
Love,"  over  a  fancy  goods  store ;  "  The  American  Con- 
gress," the  sign  to  a  bar-room;  "The  Triumph  of  Dyna- 
mite," indicating  a 
pulque  shop ;  "  The 
Pearl,"  marking  a 
store  where  silks  are 
sold  ;  "The  Opal," 
designating  a  candy 
shop  ;  "  Take  and 
Give,"  signifying  a 
fish-market  ;  "  The 
Coquette,"  pointing 
out  the  place  where 
cigars  are  sold.  The 
names  of  a  firm  are 
seldom  given  on  the 
sign  ;  however,  upon 
PULQUE  SALOON.  entering  a  store,  the 

proprietors   and   the 

clerks   usually  are  very  polite  and  willing  to   show  you 
goods,  if  you  do  not  buy  them. 

The  streets  are  the  most  lively  on  Sundays  and  feast- 
days.  Then  the  balconies  are  sure  to  be  occupied  by 
women  and  girls,  donned  in  their  silks,  laces,  and  man- 
tillas. Sunday  morning,  most  of  the  women  and  many  of 
the  men  go  to  mass,  and  after  this  they  are  prepared  for 


THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  149 

a  gala  time  the  remainder  of  the  day  ;  this  is  a  special  time 
for  shopping  on  the  part  of  the  Indians  in  the  city  and 
those  who  have  come  from  the  country  ;  perchance,  the 
men  buy  new  sandals  and  the  women  new  veils ;  all 
appear  to  delight  in  reconnoitering  and  inspecting  the  sale- 
stands  and  show-windows. 

Tramways  run  on  the  principal  streets,  drawn  by  mules  ; 
cars  run  double,  one  being  for  the  elite  and  the  other  for 
the  populace.  Much  of  the  trucking  of  the  city  is  done 
by  the  horse-cars  ;  they  are  used  on  funeral  occasions  in 
going  to  the  cemeteries ;  one  car  bears  the  corpse  and 
another  carries  the  mourners.  This  arrangement  is  a  great 
convenience,  as  well  as  money-saving,  especially  to  the 
common  and  poor  people.  Fashion  in  some  countries 
renders  it  difficult  for  the  lower  classes  to  bury  their  dead 
decently  on  account  of  the  great  expense. 

Novel  and  mortifying  sights  are  frequent  on  the  streets. 
It  is  not  uncommon  at  early  morning  around  the  plazas 
to  see  a  father  and  a  mother  with  several  children,  crawl- 
ing from  the  spot  where  they  had  passed  the  night,  and 
thus  they  spend  every  night  somewhere  out  of  doors  ; 
then,  too,  in  front  of  churches,  at  the  corners  of  the 
streets,  and  at  the  entrance  of  certain  stores,  will  be  arm- 
less, or  legless,  or  terribly  deformed  mortals  begging  for 
tlacos.  Poor  creatures,  they  deserve  pity,  and  to  the 
extent  that  the  city  might  be  induced  to  give  them  a 
comfortable  living,  so  that  they  would  not  be  forced  to  eke 
out  life  by  begging.  There  is  a  painful  mingling  here  of 
the  nineteenth  century  methods  with  those  of  the  ninth, 


I5O  MEXICO:    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

producing  singular  contradictions.  Here  are  men  back- 
ing stone  for  miles  from  the  quarry,  to  be  crushed  by  the 
modern  stone-roller;  here  are  electric  lights  flaring  upon 
olive  faces  which  would  look  more  becoming  in  the  dusky 
blaze  of  the  candle  or  the  pine  knot ;  here  are  natives 
dressed  in  the  ugly  costumes  of  aristocracy  who  would 
look  far  more  becoming  in  tattooed  skins  and  maguey 
moccasins  than  in  the  French  cut  and  the  English  beaver. 

Yes,  surely  the  German  dog-cart  and  the  Parisian 
styles  have  found  footing  in  this  city,  which  in  most 
regards  is  a  thousand  years  behind  the  times.  In  the 
days  of  Cortez  it  was  patterned  after  Spain,  Italy,  and 
Greece.  Since  that  period  it  has  stood  still  for  the  most 
part,  while  its  patres-familias  have  been  going  on ;  how- 
ever, in  the  nooks  and  out-of-the-way  places  maybe  found 
to-day  Mexicans  very  much  as  they  were  in  the  palmy 
days  of  the  Montezumas.  The  habits  of  the  fathers 
descend  to  the  third,  and  perhaps  to  the  thirtieth,  gen- 
eration. What  is  the  use  of  trying  to  change  a  people 
outwardly  before  they  are  born  anew,  or  are  changed 
inwardly  ?  Do  not  infer  that  all  the  streets  in  the  night 
are  lighted  by  electricity,  for  oil  lamps  and  lanterns  are 
common  in  certain  parts  of  the  city.  Every  policeman  on 
his  beat  in  the  night  must  have  his  lighted  lantern  set  in 
the  middle  of  the  highway  near  where  he  may  be  at  any 
time,  that  it  may  be  known  where  he  can  be  found. 

The  city  is  well  governed,  and  seldom  does  any  dis- 
turbance prevail  on  the  street,  and  it  is  thought  now  to  be 
freer  from  riots  than  ever  before.  I  judge  that  it  is  safe 


THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO. 

in  darkness  to  go  into  any  part  of  the  town.  It  is  not 
uncommon  to  see  respectable  women  at  late  hours  walk- 
ing alone  on  the  streets.  Suspicious  characters  seldom 
run  risks  out  of  doors,  for  the  police  are  quite  certain  to 
discover  them  and  shut  them  in  close  quarters. 

In  the  morning,  numerous  women  and  girls  are  walking 
the  streets  or  are  stationed  at  particular  points,  laden  with 
flowers  to  sell.  Roses,  pansies,  tulips,  pinks,  mignonettes, 
sweetpeas,  dahlias,  heliotropes,  magnolias,  hyacinths, 
and  honeysuckles  abound.  The  flower  markets  are  not 
extensive,  but,  when  in  order,  they  present  in  the  early 
part  of  the  day  a  kind  of  paradise.  How  could  it  well  be 
otherwise,  since  God  plants  the  flower  seeds  and  sends 
his  sunshine  ninety-three  millions  of  miles  to  germinate 
and  bloom  them  ?  For  twenty-five  cents  one  can  buy 
as  many  flowers  as  he  will  be  able  to  bear  away. 

During  the  middle  part  of  the  day,  the  plazas  are  fre- 
quented by  priests  and  all  classes,  for  the  purpose  of  rest; 
usually  it  is  then  too  hot  to  work,  think,  or  pray. 

The  street  affords  a  good  opportunity  to  study  human 
nature  in  its  different  phases  ;  it  is  cheering  that  more 
good  than  bad  is  discoverable  here.  One  on  a  public 
thoroughfare  is  securer  than  on  Broadway,  New  York  city, 
or  on  Cheapside,  London. 

The  sixty  churches  in  the  city  are  conspicuous,  but  the 
one  that  outvies  all  the  others  is  the  cathedral ;  the  struc- 
ture itself  is  famous,  but  its  site  is  still  more  noted,  for  on 
it  once  stood  the  Aztec  temple,  dedicated  to  the  war-god, 
Mexitl,  after  whom  the  country  was  named.  The  gates  of 


152  MEXICO  .'    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

the  four  wails  fronted  the  four  cardinal  points,  and  within 
its  inclosure  were  five  hundred  dwellings  for  priests, 
priestesses  and  other  religious  officials,  serving  at  the 
altars,  in  the  choir,  and  at  the  dance.  The  shape  of  the 
temple  was  pyramidal,  rising  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above 
the  ground  with  broad  steps  on  the  outside,  leading  to  its 
truncated  top  on  which  daily  and  often  hourly  human 
beings  were  sacrificed.  Wars  were  often  carried  on  for 
the  purpose  of  securing  victims  for  this  altar.  It  is  said 
that  the  number  of  human  lives  offered  to  Mexitl  must 
have  reached  millions. 

The  cathedral  was  nearly  a  hundred  years  in  construc- 
tion, built  out  of  unhewn  limestone,  fronting  the  Mayor 
Plaza,  and  costing  many  millions  of  dollars.  It  was  built 
in  that  age  when  there  was  in  certain  countries  decided 
enthusiasm  in  giving  expression  to  religious  devotion. 
Thus  Gothic  architecture  was  the  outcome  of  the  Cru- 
sades. It  was  not  the  simple  development  of  art-execution, 
the  trained  eye  and  the  skilled  hand,  but  of  religious  fervor 
and  exalted  spirituality.  The  people  of  England,  Spain, 
France,  and  Germany,  from  the  tenth  to  the  thirteenth 
centuries,  were  often  deeply  stirred  religiously,  and  longed 
for  the  most  exalted  expression  of  the  divinity  they 
adored;  so  they  built  the  cathedral  with  lofty  spires  reach- 
ing high  towards  heaven,  resting  on  surest  foundations  and 
vast  columns,  having  an  immense  auditorium  in  which  the 
masses  could  assemble  and  together  worship  their  God. 

At  one  period  the  Greeks  were  so  excited  religiously  in 
adoring  men,  as  gods,  that  their  artists  conceived  them  to 


<  & 


THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  153 

be  of  perfect  human  shape,  and  so  they  could  not  refrain 
from  carving  complete  statues  of  Jupiter,  Venus,  and 
Apollo,  and  built  temples  in  which  to  exhibit  their  deities  ; 
their  temples  were  not  imposing, — they  were  beautiful,  fit 
receptacles  for  their  gods.  The  Greeks  never  would  have 
cut  out  such  perfected  statuary,  had  it  not  been  for  their 
religious  conception. 

The  Italians  in  due  time  followed  with  new  ideal  ex- 
pression of  their  pious  concepts.  The  Virgin,  the  Saviour, 
and  saints,  had  become  their  inspiration  ;  so  their  artists 
put  upon  the  canvas  perfect  pictures  of  the  Madonna,  the 
Saviour,  and  saints.  Divine  light  seemed  to  shine  out  of 
their  faces,  because  spiritual  insight  of  the  artists  moved 
the  mind,  quickened  the  eye,  and  directed  the  hand  ;  ac- 
cordingly, they  erected  temples  for  exhibiting  and  preserving 
their  ideal  portraits.  The  artists  were  stimulated  first 
religiously,  and  were  not  only  interested  in  perfecting  their 
pictures,  but  also  in  building  temples  to  display  them 
before  the  people.  These  were  made  symbolical  of  the 
divinities  they  worshipped.  These  symbols  in  the  course 
of  decades  were  scattered  over  Europe,  and  by  and  by 
the  different  orders  of  architecture  were,  more  or  less, 
combined,  but  at  the  same  time  tending  to  give  expression 
of  devout  feeling  and  aspiration. 

This  cathedral  was  designed  some  four  centuries  ago, 
and  so  savors  of  the  spirit  and  expression  of  the  aforesaid 
religious  epochs.  Externally  it  is  a  medley  of  the  Gothic, 
Italian,  Doric,  and  Moorish  styles.  It  is  massive,  being 
four  hundred  feet  in  length  and  two  hundred  feet  in  width, 


154  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

overtopped  with  a  dome  two  hundred  feet  above  the  founda- 
tion, and  twin  towers  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high.  The 
front  facing  the  Mayor  Plaza  is  superb  and  imposing ;  the 
facade  is  exquisitely  carved,  and  set  with  statues.  There 
is  no  estimating  the  loving  labor  that  has  been  given  to 
perfecting  and  finishing  the  wondrous  structure.  It  must 
be  studied,  to  be  appreciated.  It  is  not  a  great  bauble,  as 
some  out  of  ignorance  and  bigotry  are  disposed  to  regard 
it,  but  a  marvelous  development  of  religious  thought  and 
soul-culture. 

In  the  western  tower  is  tire  Santa  Maria  de  Guadalupe 
bell,  nineteen  feet  high,  not  exceeded  in  size  by  any  other 
bell,  save  the  one  at  Moscow.  This  is  the  largest  and 
most  costly  church  edifice  in  America. 

Entering  within,  like  the  cathedrals  of  Milan,  Burgos, 
and  Cologne,  we  find  the  interior  falls  far  short  of  the 
exterior ;  the  paraphernalia  is  largely  modern,  and  thought- 
lessly sentimental.  Like  many  of  the  churches  in  Spain, 
the  choir  is  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  nave,  apparently 
reducing  its  massiveness.  The  high  altar  beyond  the  choir 
was  once  the  richest  in  the  world,  but  it  has  been  plun- 
dered of  its  gold,  of  its  solid  golden  candlesticks,  of  the 
statue  of  Assumption,  made  of  gold  and  set  with  dia- 
monds, rubies,  and  pearls  ;  however,  in  spite  of  the  losses, 
no  doubt,  it  is  at  present  the  most  richly-adorned  church 
on  the  western  continent.  The  railing  about  the  choir, 
extending  to  the  great  altar,  is  composed  of  gold,  silver, 
and  copper,  containing  so  much  gold  that  responsible  par- 
ties have  offered  to  exchange  a  solid  silver  one  for  it ;  the 


THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  155 

original  cost  of  it  being  one  million,  five  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  having  been  purchased  in  China. 

In  the  auditorium  there  are  six  altars,  which  are  dedi- 
cated to  Christ,  the  Virgin,  and  saints.  Many  pictures  hang 
upon  the  walls,  and  a  few  of  them  are  by  the  Old  Masters. 
There  are  a  dozen  side-chapels,  which  can  be  shut  off 
by  bronze  doors,  from  the  audience  room  ;  in  one  of  these 
is  buried  the  Emperor  Iturbide.  Under  the  Altar  of  Los 
Reyes,  the  finest  in  the  cathedral,  are  entombed  the  heads 
of  Hidalgo,  Allende,  Aldama,  and  Jimenez,  interred  here 
after  the  independence  of  Mexico  was  established,  show- 
ing that  the  true  and  worthy  cannot  be  forgotten  or  dis- 
honored. 

A  dim  light  pervades  the  whole  interior  ;  but  an  attempt 
is  made  to  expel  the  darkness  by  the  flames  of  tallow 
candles.  This  church  lacks  the  glow  and  richness  of 
stained  and  illustrated  windows.  Mass  continues  here 
from  sunrise  to  sunset ;  about  midday  it  is  usually  thronged 
with  suppliants  before  the  different  altars. 

It  was  in  this  cathedral  that  Maximilian  and  Carlotta 
were  consecrated  and  crowned  in  1864  amid  great  pomp, 
emperor  and  empress  of  Mexico. 

From  the  cathedral  towers  of  fifty  bells,  splendid  views 
of  the  city  and  the  surrounding  country  may  be  enjoyed. 
Humboldt  said  that  these  prospects  were  some  of  the 
finest  he  had  ever  experienced. 

In  building  this  grand  structure,  what  self-denial  was 
practised  !  What  self-sacrifices  were  made  !  What  taxa- 
tion was  endured  !  Then  the  power  of  the  clergy  was 


THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  157 

supreme  ;  therefore,  all,  from  the  poorest  unto  the  richest, 
from  the  least  unto  the  greatest,  were  forced  to  do  first 
and  most  for  the  church.  Accordingly,  marvelous  things 
were  accomplished  in  the  way  of  building  the  sixty 
churches  in  this  city  and  the  thousands  throughout  the 
country. 

At  the  time  the  empire  was  supplanted  by  the  republic, 
nearly  three  fourths  of  the  property  of  Mexico  was  in  the 
possession  of  the  priests.  The  clergy  had  become  so 
numerous,  and  their  living  was  so  expensive,  and  the  cost 
of  supporting  their  institutions  was  so  great,  that  the 
country  was  fast  on  the  way  to  financial  ruin.  Like 
Spain,  it  had  been  reduced  from  a  first-class  empire  to 
one  impoverished  and  degraded.  It  was  being  crushed 
under  the  weight  of  priestcraft. 

Most  of  the  churches  in  this  city  are  substantial  and 
costly.  They  are  open  all  the  day,  and  in  many  of  them 
mass  takes  place  every  hour.  If  the  worship  were  only 
instructive  and  inspiring,  what  progress  would  be  made 
and  what  a  Christian  people  the  Mexicans  would  soon 
become  !  But  this  pinning  the  soul's  salvation  to  sacer- 
dotal garments,  not  permitting  it  to  think  and  do  for 
itself,  drops  it  into  the  lower  depths,  instead  of  lifting  it 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

The  National  Palace  is  situated  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  Mayor  Plaza,  being  seven  hundred  feet  long  and  two 
stories  high,  made  out  of  stone,  and  occupying  the  site  of 
the  palace  of  the  Montezumas.  Were  it  not  for  the 
tower  over  the  central  entrance,  the  building  would  have 


158  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

little  prominence.  The  president  has  a  suite  of  elegant 
rooms  in  it,  where  he  resides  during  the  winter.  The 
offices  of  state  officials  are  in  it  and  the  Ambassadors' 
Hall,  whose  walls  are  hung  with  large  portraits  of  the 
rulers  of  Mexico  ;  and  at  one  end  is  a  full-sized  likeness 
of  Washington.  Here,  too,  is  an  apartment  known  as 
Maximilian's,  which  contains  many  relics  of  him  ; 
another  room  is  known  as  that  of  Iturbide,  exhibiting 
the  eagle  and  serpent,  forming  the  coat  of  arms  of 
Mexico.  In  the  armory  are  the  rifles  with  which  Maxi- 
milian and  his  generals  were  shot. 

The  general  post-office  of  the  city  is  under  the  roof  of 
the  same  building,  and  also  the  National  Museum,  which 
was  improved  and  so  arranged  by  Maximilian  as  to  be 
very  attractive,  and  made  one  of  the  most  interesting 
exhibits  of  a  mystic  people  of  whom  historians  only  here 
and  there  have  been  able  to  catch  glimpses.  Perhaps, 
when  the  tremendous  pyramids  and  mounds  of  the  land 
shall  be  fully  explored,  writings  and  testimonials  will  be 
discovered,  as  in  Thebes,  Babylon,  and  Persepolis,  which 
will  open  up  the  full  arcana  of  the  Toltecs,  Aztecs,  and 
ClirT-Dwellers.  We  are  living  in  an  age  of  exhuming  and 
turning  darkness  into  light. 

Entering  upon  the  ground  floor  of  the  museum,  we  are 
at  once  confronted  with  the  Aztec  Calendar,  which  was 
in  use  before  a  white  man  trod  American  soil.  The  face 
of  the  stone  is  covered  with  curious  hieroglyphics.  On 
examination,  it  becomes  evident  that  it  was  designed  by 
a  genius  and  cut  by  skilled  hands.  It  is  a  hard,  trachyte 


THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  159 

stone,  circular,  and  eleven  feet  and  eight  inches  in  diame- 
ter, and  three  feet  in  thickness.  It  shows  that  the  Mexi- 
can civil  year  was  divided  into  eighteen  months  of  twenty 
days  each,  and  these  months  into  four  weeks  of  five  days 
each.  The  Aztecs  made  use  of  this  calendar  long  before 
the  Romans  adopted  the  Julian  calendar.  The  entire 
face  of  the  stone  was  painted  red  with  such  durable  color 
that  in  places  it  remains  quite  bright.  This  calendar  has 
striking  resemblance  to  the  calendars  of  the  Chinese,  the 
Hindoos,  Java  Islanders,  and  the  Persians,  implying  that 
these  far-separated  people  may  have  originally  sprung 
from  the  same  stock  and  land.  This  stone  was  quarried 
in  the  distant  mountains  and  brought  by  some  unknown 
power  and  fixed  in  the  side  of  the  Aztec  temple,  and 
afterwards  was  placed  in  the  side  of  the  present  cathedral. 
The  next  monolith  of  special  interest  is  the  Sacrificial 
Stone,  being  eight  feet  in  diameter  and  three  feet  thick, 
having  been  devoted  to  sacrificing  human  beings  to  their 
god  Mexitl.  On  one  occasion,  priests  offered  up  seven 
hundred  and  twenty-eight  victims  by  cutting  out  their 
hearts,  and,  holding  them  up  to  the  sun,  would  say, 
"  Convey  this  message  to  the  high  god."  The  Fainting 
Stone,  the  Goddess  of  Water,  the  Coatlical,  the  Atlandes, 
the  Toltec  Vase  and  Column,  all  constructed  out  of 
trap-rock,  combine  beauty  and  ugliness.  The  ninety  and 
nine  skulls  strung  on  rods  of  iron  imply  that  the  gods 
required  frequent  offerings  to  appease  their  wrath.  The 
huge  Chac-Mol  represents  a  deity  taking  a  bath,  and 
Mixcoatl  exhibits  a  god  asleep.  The  Colossal  Head  is 


THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO. 


161 


THE  GOD  MEXITL. 


one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  sculpture 
in  the  museum,  and  looks  as  though 
it  might  be  a  twin  to  some  Egyptian 
head.  The  representations  of  the 
goddess  of  Death,  the  Woman  Ser- 
pent, the  Faces  of  Priestesses,  and 
the  Waxing  and  Waning  Moons,  are 
significant  sculptures. 

The  Astronomical  Stone  plainly 
shows  that  the  Aztec  priests  were 
wont  to  watch  the  stars  as  did  the 
old  Sabaans  from  the  top  of  their 
temples.  They  studied  the  stars  to 
signal  the  time  of  their  feasts  and 
for  omens  of  future  happenings. 

Here  are  specimens  of  ancient  pottery  of  wondrously 
handsome  shape ;  also  stone  tools,  which  take  us  back  to 
the  period  when  the  earth  was  young.  These  have  been 
found  with  the  bones  of  mastodons  and  other  monstrous 
animals  which  ran  their  race  long  since.  Inspecting  these 
antiquities  leads  one  to  feel 
that  Mexico  is  a  very  old 
country,  although  in  exam- 
ining its  relics,  we  receive 
no  intimation  that  it  ever 
had  scholars  that  were 
saints,  or  saints  that  were 
scholars.  Still  it  did  pro- 
duce works  worthy  to  live ; 


l62  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

and  we  can  but  lament  that  Cortez,  when  he  subdued  the 
land,  should  have  made  such  destruction  among  the 
temples  and  art  works.  The  tendency  of  war  has  always 
been  to  oblivion  and  obliteration. 

The  museum  contains  many  modern  curiosities.  The 
coat  of  mail  which  Cortez  wore  on  his  way  from  Vera 
Cruz  to  the  capital,  and  his  Red  Standard  with  the  face 
of  the  Virgin,  are  preserved  here,  and  also  the  solid  sil- 
ver table  service,  which  was  imported  for  the  personal 
use  of  Maximilian  and  Carlotta,  and  their  state  carriage 
of  English  make,  after  the  style  at  the  time  of  Henry 
VIII.  As  we  inspect  these  relics,  we  can  but  realize  that 
"  Pride  goeth  before  destruction,  and  a  haughty  spirit 
before  a  fall  ;"  and  that  vanity  joined  with  many  virtues, 
shades  them  all. 

The  ancient  portion  of  this  museum  resembles  in  no 
slight  degree  the  Boulak  museum  of  Egypt ;  these  are 
the  two  uniquest  museums  of  the  world,  containing  many 
of  the  oldest  relics. 

From  the  museum,  let  us  pass  to  the  National  art  gal- 
lery, which  is  in  the  rear  of  the  palace.  It  contains  hun- 
dreds of  pictures  and  is  equal,  if  not  ahead,  of  any  other 
gallery  in  America,  but  when  contrasted  with  the  National 
gallery  of  London,  or  that  of  the  Louvre  in  Paris,  or  Ufiz- 
zi  of  Florence,  or  the  gallery  of  Dresden,  it  falls  a  long 
way  behind.  In  some  of  the  rooms  are  to  be  seen  many 
students  from  fifteen  to  twenty  years  of  age,  earnestly  at 
work  with  the  pencil  and  brush.  The  government  aids 
and  encourages  them  in  this  calling,  hoping  that  in  the 


THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO. 


i63 


future,  Mexico  will  be  able  to  present  better  art  results 
than  it  has  in  the  past.  It  would  seem  that  there  must 
be  much  latent  genius  in  the  direction  of  art,  for  the  Tol- 
tecs  and  Aztecs  were  curious  and  skilled  workers  in  sil- 
ver and  gold  ;  even  they  have  left  a  few  pictures  of  a 
high  order  for  their  times  ;  art  has  never  been  entirely 
ignored  in  this  land.  When  the  Spaniards  came,  they 
could  but  have  lent  a  favorable  influence  to  the  advance- 
ment of  art  works,  for  they  had  been  in  contact  with 
them  all  their  life. 


A  PROTESTANT  SCHOOL. 

The  public  schools  here  are  receiving  considerable 
attention  ;  they  number  three  hundred,  and  are  attended 
by  twenty  thousand  pupils.  The  city  appropriates  an- 
nually for  their  support  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars.  The  school  buildings  were  formerly  convents  or 


164  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

churches.  Private  and  parochial  schools  are  common. 
The  priests  are  still  diligent  in  trying  to  control  educa- 
tional matters. 

The  Protestant  missionaries  have  secured  sure  footing 
in  this  city  ;  especially  is  this  true  of  the  Methodists,  the 
Presbyterians,  and  Episcopalians.  On  Sunday  these 
churches  have  good  attendance  of  natives  at  their  meet- 
ings and  are  constantly  gaining  new  additions,  more  par- 
ticularly from  the  young,  who  are  being  educated  in  their 
private  schools.  Their  pupils  must  number  from  six  to 
eight  hundred.  The  teachers,  whom  I  saw  in  these 
schools,  were  well  qualified  for  fulfilling  their  onerous 
duties  and  are  truly  consecrated  to  their  work. 

President  Diaz  protects  the  Protestant  missions ; 
though  he  is  a  Catholic  by  birth  and  education,  yet  he  is 
friendly  to  all  Christian  churches.  Because  of  his  liber- 
ality, the  Catholic  priests  have  anathematized  him,  but 
this  makes  no  difference  with  his  course  of  conduct ;  he 
seems  determined  to  do  his  whole  duty  as  a  Christian  man. 

The  colleges  of  medicine  and  mining  and  the  conser- 
vatory of  music  are  popular  institutions.  The  hospitals 
and  homes  of  charity  are  numerous  and  generally  under 
the  charge  of  the  church;  but,  in  spite  of  the  means 
provided  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  indigent,  beggars 
are  beyond  counting ;  some  of  the  most  deformed  and 
wretched  are  reported  to  be  employed  by  priests,  who 
receive  the  lion's  share  of  what  they  get  from  visitors  and 
foreigners.  Strangest  things  nowadays  are  being  done  in 
the  name  of  Christianity. 


THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  165 

The  markets  of  Mexican  cities  afford  an  excellent 
opportunity  for  learning  the  products  of  the  country  and 
for  the  study  of  human  nature  ;  the  Valador,  south  of  the 
palace,  is  the  principal  one  of  this  city  ;  for  many  years,  it 
was  rented  from  the  heirs  of  Cortez.  The  other  markets 
are  the  Merced,  Jesus,  and  Santa  Catarina.  Enter  these 
early  in  the  morning,  and  it  is  surprising  to  see  the  variety 
and  quantity  of  articles  for  sale.  It  seems  hardly  possi- 
ble that  such  a  number  of  eatables  in  the  course  of 
twenty-four  hours  could  be  converted  into  human  mus- 
cles, fat  and  nerves,  so  as  to  be  walking  the  streets,  laugh- 
ing in  the  social  circle,  weeping  in  the  sickroom,  and 
praying  at  the  altar.  It  is  a  miracle  how  the  vegetable 
eats  the  mineral ;  the  animal,  the  vegetable ;  and  the 
human,  the  animal.  The  big  fish  devour  the  little  ones. 
The  temporal  law  appears  to  assert  the  "  survival  of  the 
fittest."  Sunday  is  the  emphatic  market  day. 

Humboldt  so  left  his  mark  here  that  the  house  which 
he  occupied  is  held  in  great  reverence  and  is  now  owned 
by  one  of  the  oldest  and  wealthiest  families.  The  foot- 
prints of  a  truly  great  man  are  stamped  into  granite,  not 
sand. 

Now  that  the  sewerage  of  the  city  has  been  completed 
by  President  Diaz,  it  will  be  more  frequented  by  foreign- 
ers and  sought  for  a  home  than  it  ever  has  been.  A 
supply  of  gcod  water,  proper  drainage,  a  fine  climate, 
pure  mountain  air,  and  splendid  scenery,  cannot  fail  of 
causing  the  city  to  grow.  If  it  is  a  marvel  now,  it  will  be 
a  greater  one  in  the  future. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

AROUND    THE    CUV    OK    MEXICO. 

The  tramway  took  us  southward  from  the  Mayor  Plaza 
through  an  extremely  novel  part  of  the  city,  where  we  saw 
amusing  and  saddening  sights,  such  as  matrons  sitting  in 
the  balconies  smoking  cigarettes,  as  if  it  were  smart,  but 
the  senoritas  apparently  were  more  modest,  putting  the 
tobacco  to  their  lips  on  the  sly ;  then  there  were  any 
number  of  peon  women  tramping  along  the  streets  with 
one  or  two  babies  strapped  to  their  backs,  having  in  their 
hands  bags,  or  baskets  of  produce,  going  to  market.  It 
was  remarkable  to  see  so  many  children  along  the  streets; 
large  families  are  the  fashion  here.  Girls  are  allowed  to 
marry  at  twelve  years  of  age,  and  few  of  the  lower  classes 
go  beyond  fourteen  years  old  without  having  children. 
Marriage  here  consists  of  a  civil  act  which  may  be  kept 
private  for  a  long  while,  but  it  makes  children  born  to 
such  parties  legitimate,  yet  they  live  separately  before  the 
world  ;  however,  sooner  or  later  after  the  civil  rite,  the 
lovers  go  through  a  religious  ceremony  and  then  they 
enjoy  the  honeymoon. 

At  length  our  way  was  along  the  Vega  Canal,  close  by 
a  paseo  which  used  to  be  the  boulevard  of  the  city  before 
Maximilian's  time,  whose  sides  are  lined  with  willows  and 
poplars  to  a  considerable  extent.  After  riding  two  miles, 


AROUND    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO. 


167 


THE  VEGA  BOULEVARD. 


we  stepped  from  the 
cars  upon  a  boat  with 
a  sufficient  capacity 
to  carry  twenty  per- 
sons ;  pretty  soon  an 
awning  was  drawn 
over  us,  which  made 
sad  havoc  with  the 
hats  and  bonnets. 
The  propelling  pow- 
er was  two  dusky  skinned  men  pushing  the  boat  with 
long  poles.  We  fell  in  with  many  canal-boats  loaded 
with  produce  from  the  country,  bound  for  the  market ; 
we  saw  some  squashes,  beets,  and  turnips,  which  were 
monsters.  At  a  certain  wharf  these  boats  are  stopped 
for  the  collection  of  toll  before  they  can  unload  their 
goods.  The  water  of  the  canal  was  black  with  filth,  and 
its  stench  at  times  was  scarcely  bearable.  None  can 
tell  how  old  the  canal  is ;  it  was  here  when  Cortez  came 
to  the  country. 

At  length,  we  were 
riding  past  the  quaint 
old  town  of  Santa 
Anita,  which  looks  as 
if  a  whirlwind  had 
brought  it  here  from 
some  southern  sec- 
tion and  let  it  fall 
from  aloft ;  the  houses  THE  VEGA  CANAL. 


i68 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


To  THE  FLOATING  GARDENS. 


are    made    of    straw, 
mud,  and  palms. 

As  we  came  to  a 
bridge  across  the  ca- 
nal, we  were  all  oblig- 
ed to  drop  into  the 
bottom  of  the  boat, 
and  the  awning  fell, 
and  there  we  were, 
a  funny  mess  on  an 
excursion  in  the  City  of  Mexico.  Of  course  we  were  not 
prostrate  a  long  time,  but  had  three  just  such  experiences 
on  the  way  to  the  Floating  Islands.  At  the  expiration  of 
half  an  hour,  we  parted  from  the  canal  without  shedding 
any  tears ;  crossing  a  neck  of  land,  we  came  to  the  waters 
leading  directly  to  the  anticipated  curiosities.  Here  we 
got  into  so-called  gondolas,  which  have  no  more  resem- 
blance to  the  Venetian  gondolas  than  dolts  have  to 
savans.  Soon  we  were  quickly  aboard  these  flat  con- 
cerns, being  pushed  by  natives,  one  to  each  boat,  among 

the  flowery  and  gar- 
den islands,  which 
are  raised  mounds  of 
blackest  and  richest 
soil.  The  beds  are 
in  the  shape  of  par- 
allelograms, elevated 
two  feet  above  the 
THE  FLOATING  GARDENS.  water.  Sections  are 


AROUND    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  169 

allotted  to  different  gardeners,  who  work  them  on  shares. 
These  men  and  women  have  become  experts  in  growing 
flowers  and  vegetables.  The  climate  is  summer  the  year 
round.  These  so-called  Floating  Gardens  are  now  as 
fixed  as  the  everlasting  hills,  and  I  am  inclined  to  be- 
lieve that  they  have  always  been  stationary.  It  was  sim- 
ply poetical  to  call  them  floating,  the  same  as  it  was  to 
call  the  gardens  of  Babylon,  connected  with  the  palace 
of  Nebuchadnezzar,  Hanging  Gardens,  when  they  were 
built  three  hundred  feet  high  upon  arches  of  brick. 
Spaces  are  left  between  the  beds,  so  that  boats  can  pass 
readily.  Much  of  the  weeding  and  work  is  done  by  the 
cultivators  standing  in  boats.  These  gardens  are  scat- 
tered through  hundreds  of  acres  of  water,  and  thousands 
of  natives  make  their 
living  working  them. 
When  the  winds  rage 
strongly,  lifting  heavy 
waves,  great  damage 
is  done  to  the  sides 
of  the  beds,  forcing 
the  gardeners  to  spend 
much  time  in  dredg- 
ing and  bringing  up 

,  ,  .  MEXICAN  GONDOLAS. 

mud  for  repairs. 

While  passing  among  them,  it  did  seem  as  though  the 
men  and  women  in  charge  must  be  the  happiest  of  mor- 
tals, being  apparently  delighted  with  their  occupation  ; 
we  could  scarcely  imagine  how  it  could  be  otherwise, 


I/O 


MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


THE  VEGA  MUSEUM. 


:—  amid  such  fragrance, 
charming  colors,  and 
often  sweet  songs 
:  from  those  riding  at 
their  leisure  among 
the  wondrous  beau- 
ties. These  gardens 
are  a  great  resort  on 
Sundays  and  feast- 
days. 

On  our  return   we 

visited  at  the  Vega  village  a  motley  museum  of  quaintest 
and  strangest  curiosities  ever  brought  together,  the  work 
of  one  man,  Don  Juan  Corona.  It  is  in  the  hacienda, 
where  he  dwelt,  shaded  by  trees  and  enveloped  with  vines 
and  flowers.  Nearly  every  room  of  the  establishment  is 
a  museum  crowded  with  relics  of  the  different  ages  of 
Mexican  history ;  the  specimens  are  not  large  but  unique, 
representing  peace  and  war,  barbarism  and  civilization. 
The  founder's  profession  was  that  of  a  bull-fighter,  still 
his  hobby  was  in  collecting  bric-a-brac,  yet  he  did  devote 
special  attention  to  the  poor  children  of  his  village  and 
from  his  savings  he  founded  a  school  for  them  in  one  of 
the  buildings  of  his  hacienda,  which  is  still  in  opera- 
tion, though  Don  Juan  Corona  has  been  dead  for  years. 
The  children  speak  of  him  as  a  good  father. 

The  cemeteries  of  a  city  are  the  true  indices  of  the 
real  character  of  its  citizens ;  at  least,  these  are  sym- 
bols of  their  serious  thoughts  and  best  moods.  Scarcely 


AROUND    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO. 


171 


out  of  the  limits  of  the  city  is  the  cemetery  of  San  Fer- 
nando and  a  church  of  the  same  name,  constituting  the 
Westminster  Abbey  and  Greenwood  of  Mexico.  Here 
are  the  ashes  of  the  most  illustrious  characters  that  the 
country  has  produced.  Near  its  entrance  is  the  elabo- 
rate tomb  of  Benito  Juarez,  the  most  distinguished  states- 
man and  honored  president  of  the  republic,  the  Lincoln 
of  their  land,  who  departed  this  life  in  1872.  He  was  a 
full-blooded  Indian,  born  back  on  the  hills,  and  by  his 
own  efforts  he  secured  a  good  education,  became  an  emi- 
nent lawyer,  and,  in  due  time,  the  savior  of  his  country. 
The  monument  consists  of  a  full-sized  figure  repre- 
senting the  president  shrouded  in  a  prostrate  position, 
having  his  head  sustained  by  a  beautiful  female  figure 
personating  Mexico,  made  out  of  the  clearest  white 
marble ;  these  are  enclosed  by  a  Grecian  marble  temple 
supported  by  Ionic  pillars,  making  a  harmonious  com- 
bination which  will  bear  the  closest  inspection.  The 
temple  and  tomb  are  kept  literally  wreathed  in  flowers, 
which  are  supplied 
by  the  rich  and  the 
poor,  thereby  show- 
ing how  the  great 
man  is  cherished 
and  lives  in  the 
hearts  of  his  coun- 
trymen. Not  far 
from  this  memorial 
are  the  tombs  of  TOMB  OF  JUAREZ. 


172  MEXICO:    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

Mejia  and  Miraman,  the  generals  who  were  shot  with 
Maximilian.  In  this  yard  are  many  tombs  of  famous 
Mexicans.  Though  the  tombs  are  scattered  throughout 
the  grounds,  the  remains  of  the  dead  are  deposited  in 
the  heavy  walls  enclosing  the  cemetery,  for  the  corpses 
could  not  be  buried  in  graves  without  being  sunk  in 
water  that  permeates  the  ground  on  which  the  city 
stands.  This  yard  is  crowded,  lacking  order  and  sym- 
metry. 

There  is  another  cemetery  out  three  miles  to  the  west 
by  the  name  of  Dolores,  which  is  a  Mount  Auburn  on  a 
humble  scale,  located  among  hills  and  vales.  The  Eng- 
glish  and  American  burying-grounds  are  near  it ;  in  the 
American,  rest  the  remains  of  four  hundred  soldiers  who 
fell  by  shot  and  disease  at  the  time  General  Scott  cap- 
tured the  city. 

When  a  death  occurs  here  in  a  poor  family,  they  hire  a 
coffin  in  which  to  bear  the  remains  to  the  cemetery,  and 
there  the  body  is  taken  out  and  interred  in  a  trench  and 
the  coffin  is  returned  to  the  undertaker.  Lumber  is  so 
scarce  that  caskets  and  coffins  are  too  expensive  for  the 
poor  people  to  buy;  and  often  they  cannot  afford  to  hire 
them. 

When  a  funeral  procession  is  passing,  whether  in  the 
city  or  outside  of  it,  the  people  on  the  street  are  very 
respectful,  always  facing  it  as  it  comes  opposite  to  them, 
the  men  taking  off  their  hats,  and  many  of  them  bowing, 
whether  the  dead  had  been  a  public  or  private  indi- 
vidual. 


AROUND    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  173 

The  burial  here  is  not  hurried  as  in  some  countries. 
The  friends  are  careful  to  wait  till  they  are  certain  the 
flesh  of  the  dead  is  cold,  and  then  the  obsequies  are  not 
performed  in  hot  haste,  as  is  sometimes  the  case  in  the 
city  and  in  the  country,  implying  that  the  quicker  the 
departed  are  under  the  sod,  the  sooner  relatives  will 
inherit  their  property. 

Tacubaya  is  a  beautiful  village  out  five  miles  from  the 
city,  reached  by  horse-cars.  It  is  on  high  ground  and 
formerly  after  a  flooding  experience,  an  effort  was  made 
to  remove  the.  city  to  this  place,  because  of  its  favorable 
situation,  but  the  influence  of  education  and  association 
were  too  strong  for  such  a  radical  change.  The  people 
chose  to  suffer  severe  inconveniences  rather  than  desert 
the  homes  of  their  fathers  ;  so  they  resolved  to  live  where 
their  ancestors  did,  and  die  where  they  died.  Yet  Tacu- 
baya at  length  became  the  dwelling-place  of  many  business 
men  of  the  city.  It  was  properly  laid  out  and  planted 
with  ornamental  trees  and  is  outwardly  an  inviting  town. 
It  has  many  superb  residences,  surrounded  with  delight- 
ful grounds.  But  the  people  have  allowed  it  to  become 
converted  into  a  gambling  resort,  worse  than  ever  was 
Baden  Baden,  or  Monte  Carlo.  The  wheel  of  fortune 
and  misfortune  is  whirling  all  hours  of  the  day  and  far 
into  the  night  in  the  gilded  hall  and  on  the  street.  Men 
and  women,  boys  and  girls,  are  enraptured  with  the 
chance-excitement.  They  have  become  so  addicted  to  it 
as  to  render  it  fashionable  in  the  town  to  be  a  gambler ; 
they  are  pleased  to  have  strangers  look  upon  their  per 


174 


MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


formances,  hoping  that  they  may  be  induced  to  try  their 
hand  at  the  game,  feeling  that  they  surely  will  lose  what- 
ever they  shall  put  down.  Peons  and  even  beggars  are 
putting  down  their  tlacos  and  trying  their  shakes,  praying 
that  the  Virgin  will  give  them  good  luck ;  if  they  are  suc- 
cessful, they  praise  her,  and  if  losers,  then  how  they  blas- 
pheme her !  In  the  western  part  of  the  town  is  a 
"blessed  tree,"  which,  the  legend  says,  was  blessed  by  a 
priest  who  once  rested  in  its  shade  and  being  made 
happy,  he  bade  it  ever  be  green,  whereupon  a  spring 
gushed  from  its  roots  which  has  continued  to  flow  and 
the  tree  has  continued  green. 

In  going  to  this  place  and  returning,  we  had  a  good 
view  of  the  bull-ring  belonging  to  the  city,  which  is  in 
operation  every  Sunday  afternoon.  In  style  and  finish,  it 

does  not  equal  by  far 
the  one  at  Madrid,  or 
that  of  Grenada.  It 
has  a  large  arena,  sur- 
rounded by  a  prosce- 
nium capable  of  seat- 
ing several  thousand  ; 
it  is  roofless,  yet  men 
and  women  who,  if  they 
ever  go  to  church,  com- 
plain if  the  prayer  is 
more  than  three  minutes  long,  or  the  sermon  more  than 
fifteen  minutes  in  length,  and  to  suit  them  the  whole  ser- 
vice must  not  exceed  half  an  hour,  will  sit  from  choice  in 


THE  HULL-RING. 


AROUND    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  175 

the  burning  sun  from  three  to  four  hours  to  see  matadores 
and  picadores  in  the  most  brutal  manner  fight  and  slay 
maddened  bulls,  and  witness  raging  bulls  pitch  blind- 
folded horses  into  the  air  with  their  horns  and  cruelly 
mangle  them  to  death  ;  and,  whenever  a  matadore  makes 
a  successful  thrust,  dropping  dead  a  bull,  then  what  cheers 
upon  cheers !  How  the  ladies  throw  wreaths  and  bou- 
quets of  flowers  upon  the  so-judged  hero !  Oh,  how  long 
are  such  barbarities  to  be  continued  ?  President  Diaz 
does  not  approve  of  them,  and  has  issued  an  order  that 
after  1896  they  must  cease  throughout  the  country,  yet  the 
priests  and  the  masses  are  in  favor  of  them. 

Three  and  a  half  miles  northerly  from  the  city  is  Guad- 
alupe,  which  is  the  Mecca  for  religious  pilgrimages  in 
this  country;  of  course  it  savors  more  of  myth  than  fact. 
It  would  seem  that  the  majority  of  the  people  at  large  are 
particularly  fond  of  being  deluded  ;  for  this  reason,  they 
hanker  more  for  fiction  and  legend  than  for  the  truth  and 
reliable  history.  This  helps  us  account  for  the  deference 
paid  the  Bambino  doll  that  is  kept  so  choicely  in  the  Ara 
Coeli  church  in  Rome,  and  can  be  exposed  only  by  the 
priest  who  has  been  ordained  to  that  mission  ;  he  bears  it 
round  the  city,  making  calls  upon  the  sick,  saying  "This  is 
the  image  of  the  Infant  Saviour,  that  can  heal  you  of  your 
ills,  if  you  only  believe  in  it  without  doubting":  and  as 
they  believe,  astonishing  miracles  are  wrought  and 
throngs  of  the  sick  are  made  whole.  Without  a  doubt, 
they  feel  the  Bambino  has  effected  the  cure. 

When  Cortez  came  to  Mexico,  he  brought  a  wooden 


176  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

image  of  the  Virgin,  rudely  whittled  out,  and  dressed  in 
silk  and  satin  and  ornamented  with  many  precious  jewels, 
as  his  guide  and  helper,  but  on  the  night  of  the  Noche 
Triste  the  image  disappeared,  causing  consternation,  and 
nothing  was  heard  of  it  until  it  was  accidentally  found  in 
the  heart  of  a  maguey  cactus.  Its  restoration  was  hailed 
with  indescribable  thanksgiving  by  Cortez  and  his  fol- 
lowers. A  church  was  built  on  the  spot  where  it  was 
found,  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  aristocratic  Span- 
iards came  to  adore  it  as  the  very  Mother  of  God.  No 
wealthy  dowager  in  the  city  or  country  could  die  in  peace 
before  she  had  given  to  the  Virgin  her  richest  diamonds 
and  pearls  :  accordingly,  it  was  a  necessity  for  a  treasurer 
to  be  appointed,  who  would  keep  and  guard  the  riches 
bestowed  upon  the  wondrous  personage.  Her  riches  are 
valued  at  millions  of  dollars.  When  there  is  a  severe 
drought,  the  image  is  taken  from  its  sacred  cloister  in  the 
church  on  the  hill,  and,  under  guard,  it  is  borne  into  the 
city,  and  through  the  streets  and  into  many  churches, 
the  people  believing  it  to  have  the  power  of  opening 
the  heavens  and  letting  the  rain  fall. 

Ten  years  after  Cortez  came  into  the  country,  a  legend 
says,  the  Virgin  made  her  appearance  in  another  form  at 
Guadalupe.  A  pious  Indian  living  back  on  the  moun- 
tain was  one  morning  on  his  way  to  mass,  and  at  the  foot 
of  Tepeyacac  mountain  he  was  suddenly  stopped  by  the 
appearance  of  the  Virgin  Mary  who  requested  him  to 
proceed  at  once  to  his  bishop,  Juan  Zumarraga,  making 
known  that  it  was  her  wish  that  he  should  erect  very 


AROUND    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  177 

soon  a  church  on  the  spot  where  they  were  standing  in 
honor  of  herself.  Diego  was  faithful  to  his  charge  but  it 
availed  nothing.  The  next  day  he  was  passing  by  the 
same  place  and  the  Virgin  hailed  him  and  inquired  as  to 
his  interview  with  the  bishop,  and  he  informed  her  that  it 
amounted  to  nothing.  "  Go  again,"  said  the  Virgin 
Mary,  "to  the  bishop  and  declare  to  him  that  I,  the  Vir- 
gin Mary,  send  you,  demanding  that  a  church  forthwith 
be  erected  right  here  where  we  are."  The  Indian  was 
faithful  to  his  charge,  but  Zumarraga  gave  little  heed  to 
the  report.  However,  he  did  condescend  to  say,  "bring 
me  some  sign  or  token  of  the  Virgin's  will."  In  a  few 
days  he  was  passing  along  the  same  way  again  to  mass 
and  was  hailed  by  the  Virgin,  and  she  was  informed  that 
the  bishop  demanded  a  sign  before  he  could  take  any 
steps  towards  building  a  church.  Upon  this  she  com- 
manded Diego  to  climb  at  once  to  the  barren  top  of  Te- 
peyacac  and  gather  a  large  quantity  of  roses  and  return 
to  her  with  them.  He  was  obedient,  and  to  his  surprise 
he  did  find  roses  where  there  had  been  bald  rock  before ; 
having  gathered  the  flowers,  he  went  back  immediately  to 
the  Virgin  who  had  continued  in  waiting.  As  she 
received  the  flowers,  she  threw  them  into  Diego's  tilma, 
or  blanket,  saying,  "  Take  these  as  credentials  of  my  mis- 
sion." As  he  came  into  the  presence  of  the  bishop,  he 
opened  his  tilma  to  exhibit  the  roses,  and  lo,  there  was 
imprinted  on  the  tilma  the  miraculous  image  of  the  Virgin 
Mary ! 

Astounded  at  this  revelation  the  bishop  took  the  tilma, 
13 


178  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

bearing  it  to  his  oratory,  placed  it  in  the  greatest  security 
and  without  delay  began  to  plan  for  the  building  of  a 
church  in  honor  of  the  Mother  of  God.  As  the  revela- 
tion was  made  known,  multitudes  flocked  to  see  the  Lady 
of  Guadalupe,  and  Juan  Zumarraga  was  filled  with  ecstacy, 
because  he  could  see  the  Divine  Lady  every  day  of  his 
life.  Nothing  could  induce  him  to  leave  Guadalupe  for 
any  time.  The  tihna  is  still  preserved,  being  more  than 
three  hundred  years  old  ;  its  colors  are  said  still  to  be 
fresh  and  bright.  The  image  of  the  Virgin  differs  from 
others,  inasmuch  as  a  halo  encircles  the  whole  figure 
instead  of  simply  the  head. 

An  extravagant  church  was  built  on  the  spot  where  the 
first  vision  of  Juan  Diego  took  place  ;  in  due  time  where 
the  second  vision  happened,  a  spring  of  water  burst  forth, 
so  the  legend  reads,  and  over  it  another  church  was  built ; 
this  church  is  visited  by  thousands,  to  drink  of  its  holy 
and  medicinal  waters  ;  also  another  church  has  been 
erected  on  the  summit  of  Tepeyacac,  where  the  roses  were 
found,  and  which  is  reached  by  a  long  flight  of  stone 
steps.  Half-way  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  is  a  large 
breastwork  of  stone,  which  the  myth  informs  us  was  placed 
there  after  this  manner:  A  ship's  crew  was  in  great  dis- 
tress ;  being  likely  to  perish  at  sea  they  vowed  to  the 
Virgin  that,  if  she  would  bring  them  safe  to  harbor,  they 
would  bear  their  ship's  foremost  mast  with  its  sails  and 
set  them  on  the  hill  of  Guadalupe.  The  story  reads, 
as  this  was  done,  that  the  mast  and  sails  were  changed 
to  stone,  as  they  are  seen  to-day. 


MAST  CHANGED  TO  STQNE. 


180  MEXICO:   THE  WONDER  LAND. 

These  stories  are  not  fancies,  but  realities  to  the  Span- 
ish descendants  and  unnumbered  Indians.  Around  the 
hill  has  sprung  up  a  village  of  three  thousand  inhabitants. 
The  Church  of  the  Virgin  Mary  is  the  building  of  the 
town,  costing  several  millions  of  dollars. 

It  was  here  that  a  treaty  was  signed  in  1848,  between 
the  United  States  and  Mexico.  There  was,  however, 
nothing  miraculous  about  that. 


THE  REFORMA. 

The  Reforma,  or  Paseo,  is  a  wide  street  extending  wes- 
terly from  the  city,  being  two  and  a  half  miles  long  and 
lined  with  grand  shade  trees.  At  seven  points,  it  widens 
into  seven  glorietas,  which  are  four  hundred  feet  in  diam- 
eter. Three  of  these  are  already  adorned  with  statues, 
walks,  and  seats.  In  the  centre  of  the  first,  stands  the 
statue  of  Charles  IV,  one  of  the  largest  castings  consist- 
ing of  a  single  piece  in  the  world.  The  second  glorieta 


AROUND    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  l8l 

is  occupied  by  a  superb  statue  of  Columbus,  and  the  third 
with  a  statue  of  Guatemotzin,  the  last  great  Indian  chief 
of  the  Aztecs ;  it  is  grand  in  design  and  execution.  The 
statues  of  Juarez,  Hidalgo,  and  other  illustrious  char- 
acters in  the  future  will  be  placed  in  the  other  circles. 

The  Reforma  is  bound  to  be  a  splendid  thoroughfare. 
If  it  were  not  commenced  by  Maximilian,  it  was  re- 
adjusted and  greatly  improved  by  him.  He  seemed 
desirous  to  make  it  the  Rotten  Row  ami  the  Champs 
Elysees  of  Mexico,  and  it  is  fast  becoming  such  a  drive 
and  promenade.  In  the  afterpart  of  the  day,  countless 
carriages  'and  foot-people  are  briskly  moving  to  and  fro 
upon  it.  Swells  and  dudes  are  there  in  large  numbers. 
Just  look  at  the  fine  carriages  passing;  see  the  bounding 
horses,  the  shining  trappings,  the  fair  damsels  with  man- 
tillas waving  about  their  olive  faces  and  dark,  sparkling 
eyes.  How  the  ladies  greet  the.Castilian  gentlemen  by  the 
waving  of  their  handkerchiefs,  as  their  horses  go  pranc- 
ing by !  Yes,  there  is  a  deal  of  bowing  and  smiling  as 
riders  rush  swiftly  past  one  another.  It  would  appear 
that  to  them  the  river  of  life  is  without  a  ripple,  and  is 
sure  to  run  smoothly  through  their  mortal  pilgrimage. 

Move  on  to  the  Indian  statue  and  the  scene  changes; 
the  most  pitiable  objects  hustle  about  you  ;  perchance,  a 
poor  wretch  comes  running  on  all  fours,  beseeching  you 
for  medeos  and  reales  ;  another  presents  himself,  as  de- 
serving, because  his  eye  and  nose  are  gone ;  a  woman 
with  dwarfed  feet  throws  herself  along  by  her  hands, 
having  a  baby  strapped  to  her  back,  importuning  you  for 


182 


MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


THE  TREE  OK  MONTEZUMA. 

charitable  gifts  ;  while  here  the  beggars  are  sure  to  encom- 
pass you  thick  and  fast.  In  almost  any  other  country 
such  miserables  would  be  in  poorhouses,  or  asylums. 
Here,  indeed,  life  has  two  striking  sides  to  its  picture  :  if 
one  is  bright,  the  other  is  certainly  dark. 

Passing  on,  horses  rush  by  you  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  in 
two  minutes  and  ten  seconds,  riders  and  animals  being 
full  of  excitement.  Bridles  and  saddles  glisten  as  though 
silver  and  gold.  Now  inspect  sharply  some  of  the  Mexi- 
can beauties.  Be  they  of  Spanish  descent,  the  eye  may 
be  light,  hair  flaxen,  and  complexion  lily  white  :  or,  if 
they  be  of  Indian  blood,  their  faces  will  be  dark  brunette, 


AROUND    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO. 


their  eyes  glassy  black,  and  their  hair  the  color  of  ebony ; 
in  gesture  and  movement  they  will  be  like  a  Dido,  or 
Raphael's  fairest  Madonna. 

In  the  course  of  an  hour,  one  can  witness  sights  such 
as  are  to  be  seen  nowhere  else.  Rich  and  poor,  ugly 
and  beautiful,  saints  and  sinners,  do  strangely  commingle, 
starting  the  question,  How  can  people  be  extravagant 
and  at  their  ease,  when  there  is  so  much  suffering  about 
them  ? 

This  promenade  terminates  at  the  foot  of  Chapultepec, 
the  favorite  hill  of  Montezuma  and  the  chosen  seat  of 
Maximilian.  A  short  distance  before  leaving  the  Paseo, 
upon  the  right,  are  large  cypress  trees  ;  here  may  be  seen 
the  tree  of  Monte- 
zuma, under  which 
the  unhappy  Cor- 
tez  wept  on  the  noche 
fn'sfe,  overcome  by 
an  unexpected  de- 
feat. Advancing 
westward,  the  cy- 
presses increase  in 
size,  yea,  become 
stupendous,  being 
from  eight  to  twelve 
feet  in  diameter,  and 
no  doubt  some  of 
them  are  three  thou- 
sand years  old.  As  A  BIG  CYPRESS. 


184  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

I  looked  at  them  and  wondered,  I  could  but  imagine  how 
brave  kings  of  old  were  wont  to  visit  and  admire  these 
monsters  of  nature's  own  production.  It  is  said  that  the 
like  are  not  to  be  seen  elsewhere  in  the  wide  world. 


CASTLE  AND  MILITARY  ACADEMY  OF  CHAPULTEPEC. 

Chapultepec  is  some  three  hundred  feet  above  the  City 
of  Mexico,  whose  surface  must  measure  a  hundred  acres; 
whose  flanks  and  base  are  covered  with  a  dense  forest  of 
cypress,  oak,  and  elm  trees.  The  face  of  the  elevation 
towards  the  city  is  abrupt  and  rugged.  The  birds  are 
plentiful,  and  appear  delighted  with  this  grand  old  for- 
est. They  fail  not  to  make  the  welkin  ring  with  orisons 
and  vespers. 

Taking  the  road  to  the  right,  we  soon  discovered  the 
opening  through  the  hill  which  led  upwards  into  the  resi- 
dence of  Montezuma,  where  he  used  to  reign  monarch  of 
all  he  surveyed.  In  his  day  this  under-ground  passage 


AROUND    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  I»5 

was  known  only  to  himself  and  constructed  for  his  escape 
from  surprising  danger.  Following  the  road  round  and 
up  to  the  summit,  we  come  to  the  Military  school,  the 
West  Point  of  Mexico,  in  which  there  are  two  hundred 
and  fifty  young  men  being  educated  and  trained  for 
soldiers  and  engineers.  I  found  them  pleasant  fellows  as 
I  talked  with  them  about  their  studies,  their  life  work, 
and  saw  them  in  their  quarters,  which  are  commodious 
and  kept  in  the  best  order. 


THE  CADET  MONUMENT. 

Joining  the  grounds  of  the  academy  is  the  palace  which 
Maximilian  caused  to  be  built  on  the  site  of  Montezuma's, 
and  occupied  it  so  long  as  he  was  emperor,  which  is 
now  the  summer  residence  of  President  Diaz.  Going 


1 86 


MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


through  the  many  gorgeously  finished  and  furnished 
apartments,  I  could  but  feel,  if  it  were  possible  for  tem- 
poral equipments  to  render  one  happy,  President  Diaz 
must  be  in  the  midst  of  such  surroundings. 

A  few  miles  to  the  northwest  of  this  height  is  Molino, 
where  a  modest  shaft  has  been  erected  to  mark  the  place 
of  a  battle,  September  the  eighth,  1848,  between  the 


CYPRESS  GROVE. 

soldiers  of  the  United  States  and  those  of  Mexico ;  and 
on  the  thirteenth  of  the  same  month,  General  Scott  led 
his  forces  round  to  the  south  of  Chapultepec  and  up  its 
steep  sides,  storming  and  capturing  its  summit.  The 
cadets  valiantly  defended  their  stronghold,  proving  them- 
selves braves  indeed.  In  this  battle  General  Ransom,  the 
president  of  Norwich  University  and  the  bravest  of  the 


AROUND    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO.  187 

brave,  lost  his  life,  bringing  greatest  sorrow  to  loving 
friends  and  throngs  of  students. 

The  panorama  to  be  enjoyed  from  this  place  of  lookout 
cannot  be  surpassed;  really  there  is  no  other  like  it. 
Contrast  it  with  the  Yosemite  Valley,  or  the  views  from 
Mount  Washington,  or  the  Alps,  and  it  loses  nothing. 
It  is  one  grand  and  sublime  picture,  forty  miles  in  diame- 
ter. Away  in  the  distance  are  Ixtaccihuatl  and  Popo- 
cateptl  lifting  their  snowy  crowns  to  the  very  gates  of 
heaven.  At  the  foothills  are  the  glistening  waters  of 
Chalco,  Zampango,  Xaltocan,  Cristobal,  and  Texcoco. 
Around  the  shores  of  these  lakes,  and  amidst  shady  groves, 
by  the  aid  of  the  glass  many  hamlets  are  to  be  seen  ;  still 
close  at  hand  is  the  marvelous  City  of  Mexico,  overtopped 
with  its  numerous  domes,  towers,  and  cupolas,  while 
directly  beneath  are  the  Paseo  with  its  umbrageous  trees 
and  the  cypress  forest  encompassing  Chapultepec. 

None  can  picture  this  entrancing  landscape.  All  lovers 
of  nature  looking  upon  it  will  admit  without  hesitancy 
that  it  is  worth  rounding  the  globe  to  enjoy  an  hour's 
survey  of  its  captivating  objects  and  marvelous  combina- 
tion from  the  old  home  of  Montezuma,  and  at  present, 
the  summer  home  of  President  Diaz. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

FROM    THE    CITY    OF     MEXICO    TO    PUEBLA. 

It  is  true  that  one  tires  sooner  of  the  city  than  of  the 
country.  The  former  is  largely  the  production  of  man, 
the  latter  the  production  of  God  ;  this  accounts  for  the 
fact  without  any  philosophizing. 

On  leaving  the  city  in  the  early  morning,  the  thermome- 
ter stood  at  thirty-two  degrees  Fahrenheit ;  the  Mexicans 
were  all  declaring  this  to  be  uncommonly  cold  weather, 
even  for  midwinter  ;  but  before  noon,  as  we  were  being 
whirled  on  towards  the  south,  the  mercury  marked  eighty- 
five  degrees,  and  by  two  o'clock  it  ran  up  to  ninety-five, 
proving  that  this  sunny  land,  as  to  temperature,  is  fickle 
and  subject  to  extreme  changes. 

We  were  eastward  and  southern  bound.  A  few  fleecy 
clouds  were  floating  overhead ;  southwesterly  the  fiery 
Ixtaccihuatl  and  Popocatepetl  were  bathing  their  snowy 
crowns  in  the  blue  ether  two  miles  above  us.  To  the 
south  was  Malinche,  Cortez'  favorite  mountain,  and  soon 
came  to  view  Orizaba,  being  declared  from  a  recent  test 
the  highest  mountain  on  the  western  continent;  its  sum- 
mit, though  burdened  with  snow,  is  often  enveloped  with 
smoke,  showing  it  to  be  the  highest  volcano  in  the  world. 
For  a  considerable  distance,  we  were  crossing  bottom 
lands  which  but  recently  were  under  water,  teaching  how 


FROM    THE    CITY   OF    MEXICO    TO    PUEBLA.      189 

incessantly  revolutions  are  going  on  among  physical 
objects.  Herds  of  cattle  and  horses  and  flocks  of  goats 
were  feeding  these  lowlands.  Not  far  off  to  the  west  were 
the  glassy  waters  of  Lake  Texcoco,  whose  shores  are 
whitened  with  a  sodium  deposit  which  is  common  in 
moist  ground  affected  by  volcanic  action. 

Twenty  miles  from  the  city,  the  mesquits  had  assumed 
the  size  of  common  apple  trees.  The  surface  was  now 
rolling,  and  then  broken,  and  strangely  diversified  ;  we 
could  occasionally  look  down  deep  canons  and  up  steep 
mountain  sides ;  burros  were  seen  climbing  a  lofty  hill 
towards  an  adobe  village,  where  apparently  dwelt  a  few 
hundred  people  nine  thousand  feet  above  the  sea ;  a  river 
ran  under  the  track  and  seemed  to  be  naturally  dammed 
by  precipices,  whose  power  is  driving  the  spindles  and 
saws  of  several  mills  and  shops.  Occasionally  the  wind 
stirred  up  a  sand  storm,  whirling  it  through  the  air  like 
sleet  and  rain.  The  scarlet  flowers  of  long  rows  of  pepper 
trees  threw  out  and  up  their  beauty,  and  emerald  shade  ; 
the  numerous  stocks  of  corn  and  stacks  of  wheat  straw 
testified  as  to  the  richness  of  the  soil.  At  length  the 
plains  and  moderately  elevated  hills  were  covered  with 
rows  of  agave,  or  maguey  plants  in  different  stages  of 
development ;  these  fields  extend  miles  upon  miles  in  dif- 
ferent directions.  The  agave  is  to  the  natives  what  the 
cocoa  palm  is  to  the  peasants  of  Ceylon  and  Sangapore. — 
it  furnishes  them  food,  bedding,  drink,  fire,  and  money. 
It  supplies  the  common  beverage  of  the  country  under  the 
hard  name  pulque.  Have  you  ever  thought  that  the  names 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


of  intoxicants  have  no  euphony  in  them  ?  How  could  you 
get  any  poetry  out  of  ale,  rum,  beer,  brandy,  or  whiskey, 
since  they  are  nearly  always  given  to  misuse  and  abuse  ? 
This  plant  is  the  same  in  kind  as  the  century  plant 
raised  in  hothouses.  The  seeds  are  planted  in  pots  or 
boxes,  and  when  they  become  a  few  inches  high,  they  are 


THE  MAGUEY  FIELDS. 

set  out  in  lines  some  six  feet  apart,  and  then  they  are  let 
quite  alone  for  four  or  five  years  ;  after  this,  they  are  care- 
fully inspected  and  pruned.  They  require  a  dry  soil,  and 
when  they  have  been  growing  seven  or  eight  years,  they 
send  up  central  stalks,  which,  if  let  alone,  would  blossom 
on  the  top  by  the  time  these  were  twenty  feet  high. 
But  as  soon  as  they  have  grown  as  tall  as  the  other  parts 


FROM    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO    TO    PUEBLA.      1 9! 

of  the  plant,  five  or  six  feet,  they  are  cut  out  at  the  base, 
forming  bowls  which  will  hold  from  two  to  three  quarts. 
Now,  these  bowls  will  be  rilled  several  times  each  day, 
yielding  for  successive  months  for  ten  or  twelve  years, 
from  four  to  six  quarts  of  sap,  or  honey  water,  as  the 
natives  call  it ;  this  gives  the  value  of  fifty  dollars  to  each 
thrifty,  producing  plant.  The  sap  is  extracted  by  means 
of  gourds  with  long  necks,  which  are  placed  in  the  honey 
water,  and  those  in  charge  of  the  work  suck  at  apertures 
in  the  large  end  of  the  gourds ;  the  air  removed,  the  sap 
by  atmospheric  pressure  is  driven  into  the  gourds  ;  upon 
this  the  contents  are  empted  into  pig-skin  bags,  and  borne 
to  large  vats  lined  with  ox  hides  having  the  hair  inward, 
where  it  remains  from  twelve  to  fourteen  days  till  it  fer- 
ments ;  as  soon  as  this  chemical  change  takes  place,  the 
liquid  is  drawn  off  and  drank,  or  sold  as  pulque.  From 
this  region,  it  is  stated  that  eighty  thousand  gallons 
are  daily  shipped  into  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  within  a 
radius  of  a  hundred  miles  of  that  city,  a  million  gallons 
are  daily  carried  into  it,  and  drank  within  the  next 
twenty-four  hours,  for  it  will  not  keep  longer  than  that 
time.  Pulque  resembles  in  appearance  milk,  is  acid  to 
the  taste  like  yeast,  and  sticky  to  the  touch.  At  first 
thought,  it  is  a  wonder  that  anybody  should  ever  drink 
the  stuff,  and  yet  upon  second  thought,  it  is  not  remarka- 
ble, as  we  recall  the  fact  that  a  liking  for  luxuries  is  an 
acquired  taste ;  thus  it  is  with  alcohol,  opium,  and  tobacco ; 
these  drugs  would  not  be  used  were  it  not  for  the  excite- 
ment, or  exhilaration,  which  they  afford. 


192  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

All  here  who  can  get  pulque,  drink  it  and  some  to  drunk- 
enness ;  whiskey  and  brandy  are  distilled  from  it ;  the  Tol- 
tecs  and  Aztecs  made  use  of  it.  Every  nation,  whether  civil- 
ized or  savage,  seems  to  have  some  drug  in  common  use, 
which  unduly  stimulates  the  human  system.  TheChinese  get 
their  spirituous  drink  from  rice  ;  the  Americans,  by  brew- 
ing corn  and  rye  with  hops ;  the  Islams  from  coffee ;  the 
Japanese  from  tea ;  the  coolies  of  India  from  chetnng  the 
betel-nut;  the  English  from  rum;  and  the  Scotch  from 
whiskey.  Some  human  beings  do  enjoy  being  fuddled  ; 
it  is  not  so  with  any  of  the  lower  orders  of  animal  life. 
How  long  will  it  be  before  men  will  cease  to  use  know- 
ingly any  poison,  relying  upon  water  and  the  natural  prod- 
ucts to  satisfy  the  wants  of  the  body  ? 

By  and  by  upon  our  left  we  came  in  sight  of  two  im- 
mense pyramids,  in  shape  similar  to  those  on  the  banks  of 
the  Nile ;  each  of  these  covers  over  more  space  than  does 
Cheops,  but  they  are  not  so  high;  the  larger  was  dedi- 
cated to  the  sun,  and  the  smaller  to  the  moon  ;  they  were 
constructed  out  of  brick,  and  were  the  work  of  the  Tol- 
tecs,  but  when  they  were  built,  no  man  knows,  no  records 
show ;  they  may  be  two  thousand  years  old  and  even 
more ;  when  they  shall  come  to  be  explored,  their  history 
may  be  revealed. 

At  Abiaco  Station  there  were  any  number  of  Indians 
present  with  numerous  bundles  of  canes  for  sale  ;  some 
were  plain  and  others  fanciful ;  some  were  slender  and 
others  massive  ;  some  were  light  and  others  heavy  ;  some 
were  cheap  and  others  dear  ;  however,  a  deal  of  trading 


FROM    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO    TO    PUEBLA.      193 

was  done  in  the  course  of  fifteen  minutes,  and  our  party 
went  on,  well  caned.  As  the  sun  was  casting  his  last  rays 
from  the  loftiest  mountains,  bidding  us  "good  day,"  our 
train  entered  the  city  of  Puebla,  often  called  the  City  of 
Angels ;  but  the  human  beings  that  flocked  about  us, 
as  we  stepped  from  the  cars,  did  not  savor  very  much  of 
the  angelic. 

This  city  is  one  hundred  miles  from  the  City  of  Mexico 
and  twice  that  distance  from  the  sea  and  Vera  Cruz,  and 
is  seven  thousand  feet  in  altitude.  The  legend  of  its 
being  founded  is  quaint  and  peculiar.  The  first  Roman 
Bishop  of  Mexico,  the  good  Fray  Julian  Garces,  was  plan- 
ning to  found  a  town  somewhere  between  the  Gulf  and  the 
City  of  Mexico.  Having  this  in  mind  one  eventful  day, 
he  fell  into  a  reverie,  or  half  asleep,  and  was  made  to  feel 
that  he  saw  a  lovely  plain  watered  by  two  rivers,  dotted 
with  gushing  springs,  and  overtopped  by  lofty  mountains. 
As  he  gazed,  he  saw  two  angels  surveying  the  grounds  and 
setting  stakes  to  mark  the  site  of  a  superb  city.  The 
vividness  of  the  vision  awoke  him,  and  it  was  all  so  real, 
that  he  set  about  searching  for  the  site  the  angels  had 
selected,  and,  lo,  he  was  so  fortunate  as  quickly  to  come 
upon  it,  and  at  once  he  declared  that  here  shall  the  future 
city  be  built,  and  be  a  rendezvous  for  pilgrims  journeying 
from  the  sea  to  the  great  city. 

Accordingly,  a  town  soon  sprung  up,  three  hundred  and 
fifty  years  ago,  which  has  proved  a  great  honor  to  the 
whole  country,  although  it  has  been  subject  to  precarious 
fortune,  particularly  within  the  last  century  ;  for  in  1821 


194  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

it  was  captured  by  Iturbide;  in  1847,  by  General  Scott; 
in  1863,  by  the  French;  and  in  1867,  by  General  Diaz, 
now  the  president  of  the  republic. 

Going  into  the  city  to  investigate,  I  found  it  was  built 
of  granite,  when  it  might  have  been  constructed  of  mar- 
ble, for  this  stone,  as  well  as  granite,  is  quarried  near  by 
in  large  quantities.  It  is  reported  to  be  the  most  choice 
city  in  the  land;  its  streets  are  swept  and  washed  daily; 
its  drainage,  like  that  in  many  oriental  cities,  runs  down 
the  centre  of  the  paved  streets.  Its  plazas  are  extra  large 
and  beautiful  for  a  city  of  less  than  a  hundred  thousand 
inhabitants  ;  great  pains  have  been  taken  in  arranging  paths 
and  ornamenting  them  with  flowers,  shrubs,  trees,  seats, 
and  band  stands  ;  in  the  principal  plazas,  martial  music  is 
dispensed  daily,  at  the  expense  of  the  government.  Horse- 
cars  thread  the  main  streets ;  the  pleasure  vehicles  are 
more  comely  than  any  before  seen  in  the  country.  In 
spite  of  the  good  things,  there  is  drudgery  here  as  well  as 
throughout  the  land.  It  is  painful  to  see  what  burdens 
the  peons  bear  through  the  streets  ;  men  and  women  come 
in  from  the  country  five,  ten,  and  often  more  miles,  bear- 
ing on  their  backs  vast  loads  of  produce.  I  saw  in  one 
instance  four  men  with  a  heavy  piano  on  their  shoulders, 
struggling  along  the  streets.  At  the  hotels,  the  mezos 
will  take  monstrous  Saratoga  trunks  on  their  backs,  bear- 
ing them  up  long  flights  of  stairs  and  through  extended 
corridors  and  place  them  with  care  in  their  proper  rooms, 
feeling  that  such  straining  is  all  right.  Some  humane 
society  ought  to  take  their  part,  and  see  that  such  an 


FROM    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO    TO    PUEBLA.      195 

abuse  to  human  flesh  is  stopped.  The  servants,  or  those 
in  charge  of  the  rooms  in  public  houses,  are  young  men, 
who,  as  a  rule,  are  extremely  trusty  and  faithful.  I  have 
scarcely  ever  found  waiters  so  reliable  in  any  other  coun- 
try. I  have  never 
known  of  their 
thieving,  or  pur- 
loining .he  least 
thing  from  the 
guests. 

Cripples  and 
beggars  are  not 
on  the  street  here 
as  in  most  other 
places  visited.  1 
should  judge  that 
they  do  not  exist, 
or,  if  they  do,  the 
municipal  au- 
thorit  i  e  s  keep 
them  out  of  sight. 
The  thorough-  PUKBLA  AQUADORES. 

fares  teem  with  a  hopeful  and  well-to-do  people;  even  the 
barefooted  peons  seem  to  be  of  good  cheer,  and  appar- 
ently have  about  all  they  desire. 

The  Plaza  Mayor  is  a  spacious  and  delightful  square, 
furnished  with  all  essentials  to  render  it  attractive  ;  you  can 
sit  or  walk  in  it  at  your  pleasure,  and  enjoy  the  sweetest 
fragrance  of  charming  roses,  pinks,  and  pansies.  Mer- 


196 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


cantile  establishments  and  Moorish  portales  nearly  encom- 
pass this  plaza,  where  the  principal  trading  of  the  city  is 
done.  Here  almost  anything  that  is  made,  can  be  found  ; 
however,  the  special  display  is  that  of  onyx  curiosities ; 
after  examining  these,  it  is  no  longer  a  wonder  that  the 
city  should  often  be  called  the  Onyx  City.  The  quarry 
which  supplies  the  stone  is  said  to  be  inexhaustible ;  it  is 
the  finest  alabaster  in  the  world  ;  and  some  of  the  useful 
works  produced  from  it,  express  cultured  taste  and  genius. 

In  the  market,  a 
great  display  is 
made  of  the  wheat 
grown  in  the  vicin- 
ity; the  soil  is  such 
as  to  afford  a  large 
yield  of  cereals. 
Apples,  peaches, 
pears,  plums,  and 
grapes,  all  of  excel- 
lent quality  and  in 
large  quantities,  are 
grown. 

The  town  is  so 
much  given  to  man- 
ufactures, that  it  is 
often  called  the  Lowell  of  Mexico ;  its  resources  are 
abundant  and  lasting.  It  has  an  extensive  coal  mine 
near  by,  an  immense  bed  of  kaolin  for  producing  porce- 
lain ware,  large  quantities  of  limestone  for  making  lime 


PLAZA  PROMENADE. 


FROM    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO    TO    PUEBLA.      197 

plaster,  and  an  iron  mine  where  foundries  are  kept  run- 
ning day  and  night. 

The  state  of  Puebla  is  so  situated  as  to  have  a  great 
variety  of  climate.  About  ten  o'clock  at  night,  I  saw 
here  for  the  first  time  the  Southern  Cross  and  the  Polar 
Star  at  the  same  hour.  I  could  not  discover  the  whole 
of  the  Great  Dipper;  the  North  Star  was  close  to  the 
horizon. 

In  going  round  the  world,  there  were  some  three  weeks 
in  clear  weather  that  I  did  not  see  the  Polar  Star,  be- 
cause it  was  below  the  horizon,  nor  did  I  get  sight  of  the 
Southern  Cross,  because  the  atmosphere  to  the  south  was 
all  the  while  hazy  during  the  night ;  so  I  regarded  it  for- 
tunate, indeed,  to  be  able  to  see  so  near  the  south  pole, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  able  to  observe  the  star  that  fixes 
sure  the  due  north  course  to  those  on  land  and  on  the 
sea. 

I  was  glad  to  be  in  Puebla  on  Sunday;  the  day  is 
passed  much  as  it  is  in  Spain,  France,  Germany,  and 
Italy ;  the  fore  part  of  the  day  is  devoted  largely  to  wor- 
ship, and  the  afterpart  to  pleasure.  At  sunrise,  the  bells 
were  sending  out  their  calls  for  mass  throughout  the  city. 
At  nine  o'clock,  I  found  myself  in  front  of  the  cathedral ; 
approaching  it,  I  was  reminded  of  St.  Paul's,  London, 
and  the  Notre  Dame  of  Paris,  not  that  this  one  has  strik- 
ing resemblance  to  either,  but,  like  them,  it  is  grand  and 
imposing.  Many  visitors  have  come  to  regard  it  superior 
to  the  cathedral  of  the  City  of  Mexico,  though  not  so 
large.  Its  walls  are  granite,  and  its  side  extends  the 


198  MEXICO:    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

whole  width  of  the  Mayor  Plaza.  Its  superb  front  em- 
bodies the  Doric  and  Gothic  styles,  but  the  two  magnifi- 
cent towers,  the  Ionic.  High  up  pver  the  central  door, 
is  cut  in  bold  relief  the  Golden  Fleece.  Eighteen  bells 
hang  in  the  towers,  each  weighing  from  five  to  ten  tons ; 
it  is  a  mystery,  why  they  should  have  so  many  bells  on 
their  churches,  which  are  never  used  for  chimes,  but 
there  they  hang,  one  being  rung  on  a  certain  day,  and 
another  on  the  next.  Verily,  the  harmony  and  propor- 
tion of  this  cathedral  are  not  surpassed  by  any  other 
church,  visited  in  the  land.  It  is  related  by  the  Pueblans 
that,  when  in  process  of  construction,  men  worked  on  it 
during  the  day  and  angels  during  the  night,  the  latter 
doing  as  much  as  the  former.  Let  this  be  as  it  may,  it  is 
a  splendid  blossoming  out  of  the  great  mind  that  con- 
ceived it. 

In  a  worshipful  mood,  I  approached  the  huge  swinging 
doors,  heavily  and  strongly  ironed ;  stepping  over  the 
threshold,  I  found  myself  in  the  midst  of  mass  and  a 
responsive  service,  and  every  now  and  then  floods  of 
sounds  would  fall  upon  the  ear  from  the  distant  organ. 
Taking  a  general  survey,  I  soon  discovered  that  the 
interior  of  this  edifice,  in  most  respects  does  not  detract 
from  the  exterior.  Its  lofty  nave,  broad  aisles,  the  mas- 
sive stone  columns,  the  inlaid  floor  of  colored  marble,  its 
altars,  choirs,  and  chapels,  all  combine  to  render  this  the 
most  elegant  church  in  Mexico.  Numerous  suppliants 
were  kneeling  at  the  different  altars,  and  before  the  High 
Altar  a  multitude  were  worshipping;  the  rich  and  poor 


FROM    THE    CITY    OF    MEXICO    TO    PUEBLA.      199 

were  mingling  together  in  the  service  ;  any  one  observing 
them  could  not  question  their  sincerity;  no  other  reli- 
gious people  are  more  punctilious  in  fulfilling  their  spirit- 
ual duties ;  they  are  not  surpassed  in  this  regard  by  the 
ardent  Mohammedans,  the  earnest  Brahmins,  or  the 
devoted  Hindoos.  Of  course,  the  thoughtful,  looking 
without  prejudice  upon  such  a  crowd,  can  but  regret  that 
they  in  their  worship  are  not  so  quickened  in  thought 
and  enlarged  in  knowledge  as  not  to  be  carried  away 
with  mere  sentiment,  conveying  the  idea  they  are  doing 
all  this  not  so  much  from  an  intrinsic  realization  of  duty, 
or  that  they  love  to  do  it  for  its  own  sake,  as  for  the  sake 
of  reward,  thereby  gaining  a  passport  to  heaven.  If  they 
could  only  be  made  to  feel  that  the  real  significance  of 
life  is  character  building,  and  that  each  one  is  reponsible 
for  the  best  possible  use  of  time  and  opportunity  allotted 
him,  what  a  blessing  this  would  be  to  such  suppliants, 
and  how  it  would  tend  to  restrain  them  from  pinning 
their  salvation  to  the  robe  of  any  priest  or  saint. 

In  scanning  some  of  the  altars,  the  crucifixes  above 
them,  and  certain  pictures  upon  the  walls,  one  could  not 
easily  refrain  the  criticism,  too  tawdry.  Then  observing 
the  swinging  of  the  censer,  the  so  much  bowing  and  kneel- 
ing of  priests,  and  the  intoning  of  the  liturgical  lesson,  it 
is  difficult  to  keep  from  thinking,  all  this  is  too  formal ; 
it  is  verily  paying  more  deference  to  the  letter  than  to 
the  spirit.  But  in  spite  of  this  criticism  of  faults,  there 
comes  to  mind  the  fact  that,  as  yet,  Catholicism  and 
Polytheism  have  produced  the  great  artists  of  the  civi- 


2OO  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

lized  world.  Protestantism,  up  to  this  date,  has  not 
brought  forth  a  Raphael,  or  a  Phidias. 

From  the  sacristy  let  us  pass  to  the  chapter-room. 
The  first  glance  into  it  shows  that  the  traveler  need  not 
go  to  Italy  to  find  an  exquisite  church  interior,  for  look  at 
the  dome,  the  harmonious  proportions,  the  Flemish  tap- 
estry, the  pictures  on  the  walls,  the  onyx  table,  around 
which  a  score  of  bishops  might  sit  with  ease,  and  the 
unique  Spanish  chairs,  presented  by  Charles  V.  At  times, 
I  was  reminded  of  being  in  the  Duomo  at  Milan,  or  San 
Marco  in  Venice;  perhaps,  this  church  and  chapel  would 
not  have  been,  had  it  not  been  for  the  grand  church  edi- 
fices across  the  sea. 

The  Mexican  ladies  in  this  vast  assembly  certainly 
wore  the  badge  of  health  and  vivacity,  and  the  bright- 
eyed  senoritas  were  full  of  life,  and  evidently  rich  in 
anticipation. 

This  certainly  is  a  religious  city,  for  it  has  as  many 
churches  as  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  from  appearances,  I 
should  say,  they  give  them  good  support. 

The  cause  of  education  in  Puebla  is  receiving  more 
attention  than  in  most  other  places.  Many  of  the  better 
class  of  men  have  come  to  see  that  true  education  is  the 
only  sure  bulwark  to  a  nation;  that  the  speller  and 
reader,  not  the  sword  and  bayonet,  are  the  essentials  to 
uphold  liberty.  Not  in  the  very  long  ago,  illiteracy  was 
popular  here,  and  looked  upon  as  something  to  boast  of, 
but  it  is  beginning  to  be  far  otherwise.  The  larger  part 
of  the  better  classes  can  read  and  write  ;  but  the  peons 


FROM    THE    CITY  OF    MEXICO    TO   PUEBLA.     2OI 

are  largely  in  mental  darkness ;  they  have  really  been 
debarred  from  getting  any  education  ;  they  have  been 
regarded  by  the  Spanish  as  the  coolies  of  Ceylon  are  by 
the  English.  The  wealthy  have  felt  that,  if  they  should 
be  educated,  they  could  not  be  kept  in  subjection,  and 
would  cease  to  be  faithful  laborers.  It  will  prove  with 
them  as  with  the  negro  of  the  South,  the  more  he  knows, 
or  the  better  his  education,  the  better  citizen  he  makes. 
As  the  peons  become  educated,  for  they  can  be,  having 
good  natural  ability,  they  will  become  elevated  in  thought, 
in  purpose,  in  religion  and  worship,  in  character  and 
fitness  for  a  higher  life.  If  the  Pueblans  support  at  the 
present  time  more  schools,  according  to  their  population, 
than  any  other  town  of  Mexico,  they  will  do  still  better, 
outgrowing  their  present  fondness  for  the  bull-ring  and 
cock-pit.  Christian  education  is  the  sure  panacea  for  the 
ills  and  drawbacks  of  mortal  life. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

CHOLULA    AND    TLAXCALA. 

On  leaving  Puebla,  I  had  a  feeling  such  as  I  had  not 
experienced  before  since  entering  the  land  of  silver, 
onyx,  and  opals ;  while  this  city  has  not  the  sparkle  and 
gaiety  of  the  City  of  Mexico,  it  has  a  kind  of  repose  like 
the  beauty  of  twilight,  which  time  and  experience  only 
serve  to  deepen.  So  on  the  morning  of  leaving,  I  strolled 
from  the  train,  as  the  marvelous  wave  of  gold  was  climb- 
ing the  gray  beach  of  the  eastern  sky,  and  soon  dashed 
splendor  over  the  city  and  the  wide-spreading  landscape. 
At  a  swift  pace  walking  here  and  there  with  no  other 
object  in  view  besides  that  of  fastening  memory-pictures 
more  firmly  in  the  mind,  I  took  a  farewell  look  at  some 
of  the  plazas,  the  cathedral,  the  governor's  palace,  and 
the  show  windows  around  the  Mayor  Plaza.  Every  one 
met  on  the  street  was  civil  and  polite  ;  however,  some  of 
them  loitered,  as  if  they  had  a  longer  lease  of  life  than 
they  knew  what  to  do  with.  It  was  not  long  before  I  was 
back  to  the  train,  making  an  experiment,  as  often  does 
the  school  boy  after  having  learned  his  geography  lesson  ; 
shutting  his  eyes,  he  scans  what  he  has  been  over  with 
the  mental  sight,  to  decide  how  much  of  his  lesson  he  has 
actually  got.  This  I  do  know,  that  I  left  Puebla  with 
many  pleasant  impressions. 


CHOLULA  AND  TLAXCALA.          2O3 

Arrangements  had  been  made  to  convey  us  to  Cholula 
by  tramway.  1  anticipated  this  digression  with  pleasure, 
for  we  were  to  visit  the  oldest  town  and  sights,  probably, 
of  the  country,  and  the  very  old  is  prone  to  be  bewitching  ; 
so  the  world  of  scholars  cross  oceans,  deserts,  climb 
mountains,  descend  into  caverns,  and  endure  trying  hard- 
ships for  the  sole  purpose  of  seeing  the  ancient. 

As  we  started  out,  our  course  being  westward,  the  two 
snow-capped  volcanoes,  Popocatepetl  and  Ixtaccihuatl, 
were  directly  and  close  before  us.  It  is  not  singular  that 
the  latter  should  often  be  called  "The  White  Woman," 
for  upon  the  summit  was  the  prostrate  form  of  a  female 
figure,  enwrapped  in  a  snowy  robe,  whiter  than  linen. 
These  are  among  the  grandest  mountains,  and  we  were 
enjoying  the  best  views  we  had  had  of  them.  Ruskin 
was  right  when  he  said  that  "  mountains  are  the  begin- 
ning and  end  of  all  natural  scenery."  Nothing  would 
induce  me  to  part  with  the  recollection  that  I  have  of  the 
Monadnock  mountain,  from  the  old  home  in  which  I  was 
born. 

Oaks,  ashes,  firs,  and  pines  belt  the  sides  of  these 
mountains  far  towards  their  summits  ;  flowers  from  the 
tropics  to  the  frigid  zone  can  be  gathered  in  the  course  of 
two  hours'  climbing.  The  birds  delight  in  their  loftiness  ; 
the  eagle  and  hawk  scream  and  whistle  around  their  sum- 
mits; and  song  birds  of  all  latitudes  find  their  coveted 
climate  somewhere  from  base  to  crown.  These  eleva- 
tions being  volcarios,  reveal  at  once  how  they  were 
formed,  by  upheavals  and  outpouring  of  lava ;  their  pina- 


CHOLULA  AND  TLAXCALA.          205 

cles  are  some  two  miles  above  us  ;  they  are  unfailing  sen- 
tinels to  all  the  region  around. 

The  rolling  prairie  over  which  we  were  passing,  was 
largely  covered  with  maguey  plants,  alfalfa,  and  wheat, 
out  of  the  ground  barely  enough  to  render  the  surface 
green.  The  tramway  ran  along  the  highway,  which  has 
no  rounded  road-bed,  nor  is  it  paved. 

Throngs  of  peons,  men  and  women,  were  trudging 
towards  Puebla,  with  heavy  burdens  upon  their  backs. 
We  crossed  a  river  which  evidently  at  flood-time  is  a 
flood,  but  now  it  was  running  little  water ;  clumps  of  cot- 
tonwood  and  willow  trees  were  scattered  alongthe  banks. 
Haciendas  were  passed,  in  whose  fields  large  numbers  of 
swine  and  cattle  were  feeding. 

In  less  than  forty  minutes  we  were  landed  in  a  woe- 
begone village  of  three  thousand  inhabitants,  whose 
adobe  buildings  are  scattered  over  a  deal  of  space  that 
was  once  occupied  by  five  hundred  thousand  stirring 
people. 

I  was  after  ruins,  and  from  experience  in  the  East,  I 
expected  to  find  a  dilapidated  people  here,  for  only  such 
seem  to  linger  and  dwell  among  old  wastes.  There  can  be 
no  question  but  here  are  some  of  the  oldest  ruins  in  Mex- 
ico ;  the  object  of  special  attraction  is  the  pyramid  which 
rises  above  the  surrounding  country  two  hundred  feet, 
and  covers  an  area  of  twenty-three  acres,  twice  as  much 
ground  as  does  the  pyramid  of  Cheops ;  it  was  a  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  square  on  the  top,  having  been  constructed 
out  of  adobe  brick  from  twelve  to  fourteen  inches  square 


CHOLULA  AND  TLAXCALA.          2O7 

and  four  inches  thick ;  a  portion  of  them  were  sunburnt, 
and  others  kilnburnt. 

It  is  a  tremendous  mound,  for  such  it  seems  to-day,  as 
you  survey  the  grass,  shrubbery,  and  trees  upon  the  sides 
and  on  a  part  of  the  top.  The  mound  which  the  English 
erected  on  the  field  of  Waterloo  to  commemorate  their 
victory  over  the  French,  is  but  a  pigmy  compared  to  this, 
yet  the  English  speak  of  that  as  a  wondrous  work. 

It  is  known  that  it  was  here  when  the  Aztecs  took  the 
land  from  the  Toltecs,  and  there  are  legends  to  the  effect 
that  it  was  here  when  the  latter  came  in  possession  of  the 
land.  One  myth  says  it  was  built  by  a  race  of  giants, 
descendants  from  two  who  survived  a  deluge  that  over- 
spread the  land  ;  their  intention  to  start  with,  was  to  raise 
it  to  heaven,  but  they  incurred  the  displeasure  of  their 
gods,  who  sent  forth  fire  and  destroyed  them.  This  story 
is  similar  to  the  legend  of  Babylon  and  the  history  of  the 
Noachian  flood.  On  the  summit  of  this  pyramid  was 
built  a  massive  temple  in  honor  of  Quetzalcoatl,  the 
god  of  the  air,  whose  huge  image  was  crowned  with 
flames  of  fire,  holding  in  one  hand  a  jeweled  sceptre  and 
in  the  other  an  emblem  of  his  reign  over  the  winds.  As 
we  climbed  the  stone  steps  up  a  winding  path  to  the  top, 
we  found  no  remnant  of  the  old  temple  which  was  here 
when  Cortez  first  came  to  the  magnificent  city.  It  was 
speedily  demolished  and  a  Roman  church  built  in  its 
place. 

The  pyramid  has  never  been  explored  to  any  extent ; 
in  building  a  railroad  a  few  years  since,  one  corner  was 


2O8  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

cut  through,  so  as  to  expose  the  layers  of  brick  and  the 
skeletons  of  two  human  beings.  The  more  I  examined 
it,  the  more  I  was  reminded  of  the  ruins  of  old  Babylon  ; 
the  pile  resembles  that  of  Birs  Nimrod  ;  both  are  pyram- 
idal in  shape  and  placed  so  as  to  correspond  precisely 
with  the  cardinal  points,  being  made  out  of  brick  of  about 
the  same  kind  and  size  ;  and  each  story  was  drawn  in,  to 
leave  terraces  round  the  whole  work.  In  the  room  of  the 
upper  story  of  Birs  Nimrod  was  a  solid  golden  statue  of 
Merodach,  the  god  of  the  sun,  being  forty  feet  high  in  a 
sitting  posture.  This  tower  was  built  and  dedicated  to 
seven  different  planets,  and  the  top  was  devoted  nights 
to  star-gazing.  Babylon  was  built  entirely  out  of  brick  ; 
the  people  could  not  do  otherwise,  for  there  was  no  stone, 
or  timber,  within  a  long  distance  :  accordingly,  the  city 
of  Babylon,  with  its  walls  sixty-seven  miles  in  extent,  three 
hundred  feet  high,  and  one  hundred  feet  thick  at  the 
base,  and  so  wide  on  top  as  to  allow  of  three  horse 
chariots  racing  abreast,  the  palace  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
the  hanging  gardens,  the  wharves  along  the  Euphrates, 
were  all  made  out  of  brick  from  twelve  to  fourteen  inches 
square  and  four  inches  thick. 

Now,  the  adobe  brick  here  are  about  the  same  size  and 
thickness.  I  could  not  refrain  from  asking,  How  can  we 
account  for  such  likeness  only  on  the  ground  that  the 
builders  of  this  and  other  ancient  pyramids  of  Mexico 
sprung  directly,  or  indirectly,  from  the  Chaldeans?  The 
pyramids  and  the  old  temples  here  might  have  been  built 
out  of  porphyritic  stone,  trap-rock,  or  marble,  for  they 


CHOLULA  AND  TLAXCALA.          209 


were  in  abundance  and  near  by;  and  it  seems  that,  if 
they  had  been  constructed  by  men  raised  up  in  the  coun- 
try, they  would  have  made  use  of  one,  or  all,  of  these 
materials.  This  would  have  been  more  natural  and 
cheaper  for  them.  But  I  can  readily  understand,  if  these 
builders  had  emigrated  from  a  country  where  they  had 
been  accustomed  to  make  brick,  or  see  them  made,  the 
art  being  inbred  in  their  natures,  how  they  should  natu- 
rally take  to  it  here  on  a  larger  scale. 

The  Babylonians  were  familiar  with  the  heavenly  bodies ; 
they  invented  a  zodiac,  from  which  it  would  seem  that 
ours  must  have  been  copied  ;  they  divided  the  year  into 
twelve  months,  and  the  week  into  seven  days ;  they  used 
the  sun-dial  and  the  water-clock.  We  do  not  know  but 
the  Toltecs  were  here  six  hundred  years  before  Christ ; 
history  asserts  that  they  were  here  six  hundred  years 
after ;  and  at  that  time  there  were  astronomers  among 
them  who  were  able  to  calculate  the  motion  of  the  sun 
and  the  length  of  the  solar  year ;  some  of  them  were 
curious  workers  in  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones,  the 
same  as  there  had  been  among  the  dwellers  by  the  Eu- 
phrates river. 

Can  it  be  possible  that  the  peons,  who  were  about  us 
while  at  Cholula,  were  descendants  from  a  people  once 
highly  civilized  ?  I  think  so,  because,  though  they  are 
unable  to  read  and  write,  they  are  superior  to  the  present 
issue  of  the  old  Chaldeans,  as  they  are  seen  in  the  city  of 
Hillah  on  the  site  of  ancient  Babylon,  or  in  other  ruined 
cities  on  the  banks  of  the  Tigris.  Ancient  Chaldea,  no 
'5 


2io  MEXICO:  THE  WONDER  LAND. 

doubt,  sent  characters  into  Egypt  who  developed  into  the 
builders  of  the  pyramids,  temples,  and  tombs,  and  twenty 
thousand  cities  along  the  Nile,  when  Memphis  was  the 
brilliant  capital  of  that  country.  Who  knows  but  some 
of  their  race  got  across  the  Atlantic  ocean  about  the 
same  time  and  settled  in  Mexico  and  at  Cholula  ?  It  is 
lamentable  that  Cortez  should  have  been  such  an  icono- 
clast, as  he  entered  this  land,  destroying  recklessly,  so  far 
as  he  could,  the  works  of  the  Aztecs  and  of  all  who  had 
dwelt  here  before  them.  Had  he  spared  these,  perhaps 
writings  might  have  been  discovered  which  would  throw 
light  upon  the  origin  of  these  pyramids,  and  the  pedigree 
of  the  people.  He  not  only  forced  the  Aztecs  to  demol- 
ish their  own  temples,  but  to  erect  Roman  churches  in 
their  place.  In  writing  back  to  Spain  from  this  city,  he 
says  that  he  counted  in  it  four  hundred  and  fifty  towers, 
and  that  there  were  not  more  than  two  to  any  one  tem- 
ple. If  this  be  true,  what  a  downfall  of  temples  there 
must  have  been,  and  what  an  uprising  of  Roman  churches  ! 
Some  forty  of  these  are  still  scattered  about  the  pyramid, 
in  a  state  of  decay,  and  perhaps  the  larger  half  are  not 
opened  at  all.  After  Cortez  established  the  inquisition, 
it  did  bloody  work,  and  was  little  improvement  upon  the 
frightful  barbarity  of  the  Aztecs  in  making  human  sacri- 
fices to  their  gods  upon  the  summits  of  their  temples  and 
pyramids,  though  we  are  informed  that  twelve  hundred 
were  laid  at  the  feet  of  Quetzalcoatl  in  one  day. 

Two  other  pyramids,  very  much  smaller  in  size,  stand 
not  far  from  this  monster,  whose  history  is  lost  in  oblivion. 


CHOLULA  AND  TLAXCALA.          211 

Cortez  evidently  endeavored  to  magnify  the  faults  of  the 
forlorn  and  conquered  Mexicans,  and  enlarge  upon  his 
own  virtues  and  religious  deeds ;  he  feigned  to  have  all 
his  acts  smiled  upon  by  the  Virgin,  and  published  them 
with  the  view  of  self-emolument. 

The  inquisition  did  not  allow  anything  to  be  published 
until  it  had  run  the  gauntlet  of  its  censorship.  From  this 
fact,  the  Indians  stood  no  chance  of  fair  representation 
of  their  doings  being  justly  recorded  upon  the  pages  of 
history;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Spaniards  could  be 
pictured  as  saints  and  unsurpassed  workers  for  the  cause 
of  humanity,  when  really  their  deeds  were  demoniacal  in 
the  highest  degree.  In  spite  of  Cortez's  concealment 
and  extreme  religious  conviction,  the  most  reliable  tra- 
dition has  handed  down  the  report  that  on  one  occasion 
he  slaughtered  three  thousand  Cholulans  without  the 
least  provocation.  He  did  it  simply  to  show  his  authority, 
to  intimidate  and  bring  the  living  into  fullest  submission. 

It  is  not  strange  that  Cortez's  religion  failed  to  give 
success  to  this  city,  or  prosperity  to  the  country.  It 
was  not  vital  with  him  ;  he  used  it  as  a  means  to  promote 
his  own  self-aggrandizement. 

From  the  above,  it  is  plain  why  Mr.  Prescott  should 
present  such  an  entrancing  history  of  Mexico,  and  paint 
in  high  colors  the  characteristics  of  the  Spaniards,  and, 
for  the  most  part,  represent  the  Aztecs  and  their  descend- 
ants as  ignoble  barbarians.  He  was  obliged  to  rely 
largely  upon  Spanish  records  for  his  information,  and 
therefore,  while  Mr.  Prescott  desired  to  give  us  authentic 


212  MEXICO:    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

history,  we  can  see  how,  from  necessity,  it  would  be  par- 
tial and  favor  too  much  Cortez  and  his  followers. 

As  I  walked  across  the  plaza,  once  so  beautiful,  now 
so  still,  yet  growing  a  few  wasting  trees,  and  passed  on 
by  some  huts  and  heard  and  saw  the  hand  looms,  kept 
in  motion  by  natives,  weaving  cotton  goods,  I  could 
scarcely  imagine  that  Cholula  once  rivaled  the  court  of 
Montezuma.  From  the  actions  of  the  present  genera- 
tion and  their  common  appearance,  I  would  not  infer 
that  their  ancestors  were  ever  curious  moulders  of  clay, 
yet  some  of  the  specimens  dug  from  the  ruins  are  of  the 
most  delicate  kind  of  pottery,  surpassing  in  beauty  and 
elegance  anything  of  the  sort  found  elsewhere  in  this 
country,  or  in  Greece,  or  Egypt. 

When  among  the  wastes  of  Babylon,  Nineveh,  Mem- 
phis, and  Thebes,  I  expected  to  find  much  of  striking 
interest  and  was  not  disappointed,  but,  as  I  entered  this 
land,  I  did  not  anticipate  great  things ;  but  I  have  found 
infinitely  more  than  I  had  imagined  could  exist.  I  would 
like  to  see  this  magnificent  pile  so  penetrated  and  opened 
up  as  to  expose  all  the  things  which  it  now  holds  in 
secret.  I  am  confident  this  will  be  done.  If  the  old 
city  were  a  Mecca  for  countless  pilgrims  from  home  and 
abroad,  its  ruins  would  allure  archaeologists  and  seekers 
to  know  the  past  and  the  truth  pertaining  to  the  new  and 
old,  to  that  extent,  at  least,  which  would  exhume  the 
arcana  of  these  wondrous  pyramids,  bringing  the  dis- 
covered knowledge  of  the  past  to  bear  Upon  the  present, 
so  as  to  enlighten  the  future. 


.   CHOLULA  AND  TLAXCALA.          213 

We  returned  from  Cholula  to  Puebla  and  then  by 
steam  to  Santa  Ana,  where  again  we  took  the  tramway 
for  another  outing  of  six  miles  in  a  northerly,  and  then 
westerly,  direction,  bringing  us  once  more  close  under 
the  shadows  of  the  two  snowy  and  fiery  volcanos.  Our 
course  was  through  the  country  village  of  San  Publo 
Apetitlan,  consisting  of  small,  adobe  cabins.  A  stop  of  a 
few  minutes  enabled  us  to  inspect  several  of  the  homes, 
each  consisting  of  a  single  room,  where  the  whole  family 
live,  eat,  and  sleep,  without  any  light  or  ventilation,  except 
what  comes  in  through  the  open  door.  There  were  no 
chairs,  tables,  benches,  beds,  fireplaces,  or  chimneys  to 
be  seen.  The  people  here,  as  elsewhere  in  the  country, 
are  Indians;  more  than  two  thirds  of  the  Mexicans  are 
of  Aztec  extraction. 

The  general  aspect  of  the  land  in  this  region  is  some- 
what picturesque,  being  broken  into  hills  and  valleys,  yet 
the  soil  is  deep  and  productive.  The  peons  were  busy 
carting  and  plowing  with  burros,  making  ready  to  plant 
and  sow  their  corn  and  wheat.  A  part  of  the  way  our 
road  was  lined  with  robust  willows  and  cottonwood  trees. 
We  crossed  quite  a  river  whose  intervals  looked  refresh- 
ingly green.  In  some  forty  minutes  from  the  time  of 
leaving  the  steam  cars,  we  halted  in  a  vale  where,  at 
first,  there  was  not  a  house  to  be  seen,  but,  as  we  crossed 
the  plaza,  we  could  count  a  few  dilapidated  structures 
and  a  small  number  of  inferior  folk  were  occupying  moss- 
covered  seats  with  apparently  nothing  to  do,  who  really 
were  dying  of  "antiquity";  for  here  we  were  in  the 


2I4 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


place  of  the  oldest  Spanish  settlement  in  North  America. 
To  the  south  and  west  the  surface  rose  somewhat  abruptly 
into  lofty  hills,  which  were  once  covered  with  stately  and 
attractive  buildings,  when  Tlaxcala  was  swarming  with 


APPROACHING  TLAXCALA. 

three  hundred  thousand  inhabitants  in  place  of  three 
thousand,  as  at  present.  A  woe-begone  stillness  seemed 
to  be  filling  the  air.  The  poor  mortals  looked  and  acted 
as  though  they  were  verily  "  growing  small."  Patches 
of  rank  maguey  plants  were  scattered  about  the  village, 
and,  from  appearance  of  affairs,  I  judged  that  the  people 
were  dependent  on  these  for  their  living.  I  know  this 
plant  has  been  said  to  give  health,  wealth,  and  hap- 
piness to  the  Mexicans,  but  it  certainly  does  not  afford 
much  outward  wealth  here.  It  is  true,  they  may  get  their 


CHOLULA  AND  TLAXCALA. 


215 


fuel  from  the  old  plant;  they  may  use  its  leaves  for 
shingles ;  work  the  coarse  fibre  into  mats  and  ropes ;  the 
thorns  of  the  leaves  can  proffer  them  nails  and  pins ;  the 
sap  may  yield  them  drink;  and  the  caterpillars,  which 
are  common  to  the  plant,  they  may  devour  with  as  much 
gusto  as  the  Chinese  consume  rats,  cats,  and  slunken 
pigs  ;  or  the  Japanese,  monkeys  ;  or  the  Parisians,  frogs ; 
or  the  cannibals  of  Sumatra,  human  flesh. 


STREET  AND  PLAZA,  TLAXCALA. 

The  school  that  I  visited  presented  pupils  in  rags  and 
nudeness ;  still,  most  of  their  faces  were  sunny,  and  they 
studied  so  loud  as  to  prove  that  they  were  endowed  with 
good  lungs. 

We  desired  to  visit,  above  all  else,  the  museum  here, 
which  is  never  open  to  the  public  for  the  reason  it  does 


2l6  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

not  mean  anything  to  the  people  generally ;  still,  it  is  free 
to  visitors,  when  the  key  can  be  found.  In  our  case,  it 
was  the  longest  while  before  the  custodian  could  be 
secured  to  unlock  the  door.  As  he  came,  he  was  full  of 
good  nature,  and,  before  taking  us  into  the  museum,  he 
invited  us  into  the  council  room,  where  we  saw  upon  the 
walls  the  portraits  of  the  famous  Indian  chiefs  who  first 
allied  themselves  to  Cortez  and  his  cause.  Their  faces 
indicate  that  they  were  men  of  brains.  Other  portraits 
of  Spanish  characters  hung  upon  the  wall,  but  the  Indian 
faces  bear  off  the  palm. 

Going  to  the  museum,  we  were  first  introduced  to  the 
images,  or  idols,  of  pagan  gods  which  the  natives  were 
accustomed  to  worship  ;  here  was  made  prominent  the 
banner  of  Cortez  which  he  presented  to  the  Tlaxcalans 
in  1520;  it  is  nine  by  six  feet  in  dimensions,,  cut  with  a 
swallow  tail ;  its  colors  are  bright,  giving  no  signs  of  age; 
it  is  protected  by  a  glass  case  ;  its  iron  spear-head  bears 
the  monogram  of  the  sovereigns  of  Spain.  Here  are  the 
arms  of  Tlaxcala,  illuminated  on  parchment  and  signed 
by  Charles  V  ;  the  robes  are  shown  which  the  chieftains 
wore  at  their  baptism,  equal  in  workmanship  to  anything 
of  the  kind  that  is  produced  at  the  present  day.  In  the 
corridor  stands  the  chest  in  which  Cortez  kept  his  silver 
and  gold,  having  been  furnished  with  four  different  locks; 
he  appointed  four  custodians  to  have  charge  of  it,  each 
having  a  key  and  staking  his  life  for  the  safety  of  the 
chest ;  and  whenever  it  was  opened  all  four  of  the  keep- 
ers must  be  present.  There  are  many  other  personal 


CHOLULA  AND  TLAXCALA. 


217 


relics  of  Cortez  in  the  exhibit.     I   saw  a  few  specimens 
of  fine  petrifactions  found  in  the  vicinity. 

Were  this  museum  in  some  of  our  northern  institutions, 
or  cities,  it  would  be  so  arranged  and  improved  as  to  be 
of  great  value  and  interest  to  the  people  at  large.  What 
a  pity  it  is  to  have  valuable  treasures  in  the  midst  of  a 
community  that  has  no  appreciation  of  their  worth  ! 

Leaving  this  building  we  proceeded  through  the  mar- 
ket, which  did  not  have  in  it  more  than  a  dozen  men  and 
women,  who  apparently  had  nothing  to  do,  but  were  jab- 
bering away  in  the  Aztec  tongue,  probably  about  the  new 
comers  who  looked,  no  doubt,  as  strange  to  them  as 
they  did  to  us  ;  as- 
cending  quite  an  in- 
cline,  we  came  to 
the  barrack,  in  which 
were  forty  soldiers, 
needing  some  ex- 
citement to  wake 
them  up.  The  bar- 
rack building  was 
formerly  a  convent, 
which  was  confiscated  about  the  time  Maximilian  came 
to  the  country. 

A  short  way  on,  we  came  to  the  church  of  San  Fran- 
cisco overlooking  the  village,  which  is  the  oldest  Roman 
church  in  America,  having  been  built  in  1521,  the  same 
year  the  conquest  was  completed.  It  is  Spanish  in  style, 
and  that  means  it  is  Italian,  Grecian,  and  Gothic  in 


OLD  CONVENT. 


2l8  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

elaboration.  It  is  in  a  fair  state  of  preservation,  yet 
bearing  the  marks  of  age  ;  its  altar  is  highly  decorated. 
To  the  right  of  the  nave  and  the  altar  is  the  chapel  of 
Tecero-Oden  ;  at  its  entrance  is  the  large  stone  font, 
weighing  tons,  which  held  the  water  at  the  time  of  the 
baptism  of  the  Indian  chiefs,  and  afterwards  for  the  bap- 
tism of  myriads  more.  Further  on  is  the  stone  pulpit, 
whose  worn  steps  evidence  that  they  have  been  trodden 
by  priestly  feet  for  centuries. 


CHURCH  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO. 

A  short  distance  in  front  of  this  church  is  the  bull-ring, 
another  Spanish  institution. 

One  cannot  enjoy  inspecting  the  relics  of  Cortez  as  he 
would,  could  he  feel  that  the  invader  had  been  a  good 
man,  prompted  by  lofty  motives  in  his  marvelous  career. 
Tlaxcala  was  his  first  resting  place  after  he  reached  the 


CHOLULA  AND  TLAXCALA.          2Ip 

table-lands,  and  it  is  natural  for  us,  after  having  seen  so 
many  relics  connected  with  his  sojourn  here  and  else- 
where, to  learn  something  more  of  his  personal  history. 
Accordingly,  a  slight  digression  may  be  permissible. 

It  is  stated,  on  the  best  authority,  that  he  had  a  fine 
physique,  a  commanding  presence,  an  expressive  face, 
and  an  eloquent  tongue;  he  was  born  in  1483,  the  same 
year  of  Martin  Luther.  In  his  early  life  he  was  frequently 
given  to  deception  and  hypocrisy,  yet  paid  unflinching 
loyalty  to  kings  and  nobles  whom  he  felt  would  promote 
his  self-aggrandizement.  This  explains  why  he  was  so 
attentive  to  the  sovereigns  of  Spain.  He  was  ambitious 
to  become  immensely  rich,  believing  that  wealth  would 
give  him  prestige,  and,  therefore,  he  was  sordidly  avari- 
cious, ready  to  sacrifice  everything  to  the  gratification  of 
gain.  He  deserted  his  faithful  wife  in  Spain,  probably 
murdered  his  second  one  in  Cuba,  and  shamefully  treated 
Marina,  his  devoted  interpreter  and  the  mother  of  his 
acknowledged  son.  Marina  saved  his  life  more  than 
once  at  the  risk  of  her  own,  and  yet  after  all,  Cortez  ill- 
treated  and  forsook  her. 

He  was  aided  by  the  king  and  queen  of  Spain,  leaving 
that  country  with  fifteen  vessels,  one  hundred  and  ten 
mariners,  five  hundred  and  thirty-three  soldiers,  several 
women  servants,  sixteen  horses,  and  increased  this  force 
with  cannon  and  two  hundred  Indians  as  he  touched  at 
Cuba.  His  watchword  to  his  subordinates  was,  "  Let  us 
follow  the  Roman  cross  and  under  this  sign,  if  we  have 
faith,  we  shall  conquer." 


22O  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

He  landed  in  Mexico,  March,  1519.  He  was  bitterly 
opposed  by  the  Mexicans,  but  he  adroitly  subdued  them 
along  the  coast,  compelling  them  to  give  up  their  gods 
and  accept  instead  the  Virgin  and  the  pope. 

Among  his  early  captives  was  la  Marina,  who  was 
mentally  and  morally  gifted,  and  soon  mastered  the 
Spanish  language  so  as  to  be  an  efficient  interpreter. 

Discontent  soon  arose  among  his  own  men,  and  they 
desired  to  return  to  beloved  Spain.  Upon  this,  Cortez 
secretly  caused  all  his  vessels  to  be  destroyed  but  one, 
and  then  he  said  to  his  men  that  those  who  felt  that  they 
must  return  to  their  native  land  at  once,  deserting  the 
noble  cause  that  had  brought  them  to  this  land  of  prom- 
ise, let  them  come  forward.  Of  course  they  could  see 
that  only  a  few  could  return  at  most,  and  the  few  were 
not  ready  to  desert  the  rest ;  so  Cortez  gained  his  point, 
and  forced  them  all  to  remain. 

It  was  not  long  before  forty-five  hundred  Mexicans 
were  overcome  by  the  comparatively  few  Spaniards.  It 
was  brains  against  brawn,  as  it  was  on  the  plains  of 
Marathon,  the  few  conquering  the  many.  But  Cortez 
declared  that  it  was  St.  Peter  who  had  given  them  the 
victory,  and  so  required  all  to  join  in  mass  to  the  victor. 

Montezuma,  learning  of  the  Spanish  ingress  to  his 
country,  sent  greetings  and  presents  to  Cortez  valued  at 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  which  were  accepted  and 
at  once  sent  to  Spain.  It  was  not  long  before  other 
presents  came  from  Montezuma,  which  were  worth  mil- 
lions of  dollars,  and  these  were  forwarded  to  Charles  V, 


CHOLULA  AND  TLAXCALA.          221 

king  of  Spain.  Cortez  sent  greetings  and  thanks  to 
Montezuma,  dissembling  as  to  the  real  object  he  had  in 
view  in  entering  his  country ;  he  feigned  friendship  and 
good-will  towards  him. 

Cortez  was  adroit  and  prepared  to  do  anything  that 
would  enrich  himself  and  advance  his  religion.  Moham- 
med spread  his  religion  by  the  Koran  and  the  sword  ; 
Cortez  his,  by  the  sword  and  the  Roman  cross. 

August,  1521,  Cortez  started,  with  four  hundred  and 
fifty  Spanish  soldiers,  fifteen  horses,  six  cannon,  and  fif- 
teen hundred  Totonac  Indians,  to  cross  the  plains  and 
climb  to  the  table-lands  towards  the  City  of  Mexico.  It  was 
to  be  a  difficult  march  and  a  tremendous  climb  up  the  Cor- 
dilleras mountains.  They  pushed  on,  making  no  lengthy 
stop  till  they  reached  Tlaxcala,  whose  people  were  friendly 
to  the  Totonac  Indians,  and  these  were  sent  first  into 
the  city,  expecting  and  hoping  that  they  would  induce 
the  Tlaxcalans  to  let  Cortez  and  all  his  force  into  their 
midst  at  once  ;  but  this  project  failed.  At  this  time,  the 
city  and  its  district  contained  five  hundred  thousand  in- 
habitants, one  tenth  of  whom  were  soldiers.  At  this 
pitch,  they  made  ready  for  defense ;  so  war  at  once  be- 
gan. Again,  it  was  the  few  against  the  many.  The 
Tlaxcalans  were  speedily  overcome,  and  thousands  of 
them  were  ruthlessly  slaughtered  and  so  completely  over- 
powered as  to  renounce  their  own  religion  and  accept 
Romanism. 

Cortez  was  unmercifully  cruel  in  his  operations,  as  a 
single  illustration,  out  of  many,  will  show :  He  took  fifty 


222  MEXICO:     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

Tlaxcalan  soldiers,  cut  oft'  their  hands,  and  then  sent 
them  back  into  their  own  ranks,  to  let  their  friends  see 
what  their  fate  would  be  should  they  persist  in  warring 
against  him  and  his  army.  After  such  unheard-of  cruelty 
and  the  loss  of  thousands,  the  Tlaxcalans  gave  up,  re- 
nounced their  gods,  and  accepted  the  religion  of  Cortez, 
being  baptized  in  haste,  one  priest  administering  the  rite 
to  five  thousand  in  one  day. 

It  is  plain  to  see  that  they  were  converted  only  in  form  : 
they  were  polytheists  from  the  force  of  education,  and 
many  of  their  descendants  remain  so  even  to  this  day. 
After  Montezuma  knew  of  Cortez'  proceedings  here,  he 
kept  sending  presents  to  him,  and  Cortez  accepted  them 
as  from  one  whom  he  wished  well,  till  he  felt  prepared  to 
make  an  onslaught  upon  the  city  and,  if  it  were  possible, 
usurp  power  over  it. 

Being  reenforced  by  more  Spanish  soldiers,  cannon, 
and  powder  from  Cuba,  he  felt  in  readiness,  his  army 
being  composed  of  Spaniards,  Totonacs,  Tlaxcalans, 
Cholulans,  and  others,  to  the  number  of  six  thousand. 
As  they  marched  forth,  the  Castilians  composed  the 
van. 

The  Mexicans  could  but  see  now  what  Cortez  was 
after,  .having  allied  himself  to  those  Indians  who  were 
enemies  to  Montezuma  and  his  followers.  It  is  no  won- 
der, as  they  saw  Cortez  advancing  to  enter  their  city, 
that  they  should  rise  and  shut  their  gates  against  him. 
Thereupon,  hostilities  were  furiously  commenced.  A 
gigantic  enemy  was  partly  within  their  walls.  At  this, 


CHOIAJLA    AND    TLAXCALA.  223 

Montezuma  was  terribly  oppressed  in  mind,  and  died 
with  a  broken  heart  the  day  before  the  "  sorrowful  night," 
and  his  nephew,  Guatemotzin,  was  made  his  successor. 

At  first,  Cortez  tried,  in  a  friendly  way,  to  bring  the 
king  to  his  terms,  but  he  failed  in  this,  and  forthwith 
he  laid  his  plans  to  conquer  the  city.  In  the  course  of 
six  months  he  was  successful,  venting  his  wrath  and  spite 
in  a  most  malignant  spirit  upon  the  conquered.  It  makes 
your  blood  run  cold  to  read  of  the  tortures  inflicted  upon 
Guatemotzin, — more  cruel  than  those  used  by  the  Doges 
at  Venice — to  induce  him  to  make  known  where  the 
treasures  of  the  city  were  concealed ;  but  as  he  did  not 
succeed  in  this,  and  afterwards  learned  that  they  had 
been  cast  into  the  lake,  Cortez  caused  the  king  and  his 
beautiful  queen  to  be  hung  upon  a  tree,  in  the  most  pub- 
lic and  spiteful  manner,  to  intimidate  and  bring  into 
speedy  subjection  the  Mexicans.  All  this  was  done  in 
the  name  of  his  religion.  How  a  bad  man  may  dishonor 
the  highest  statements  of  theology  and  disgrace  the  best 
principles  of  Christianity ! 

Cortez'  life  proves  that  he  was  an  unmitigated  fraud. 
He  struggled  to  build  himself  up  on  the  downfall  of 
others.  He  was  ready  to  thrust  the  dagger  into  the 
bosom  of  his  best  friend,  if  he  could  gain  riches  or  fame 
thereby.  He  published  inexcusable  lies  about  the  Mexi- 
cans, making  them  to  be  the  worst  of  barbarians,  and 
pictured  in  glowing  rhetoric  his  own  achievements,  mak- 
ing himself  out  the  greatest  of  heroes,  and  his  enemies, 
satanic  fiends.  His  real  ilife  reads  more  like  a  romance, 


224  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

with  but  a  few  shadows  of  the  truth.  He  deserves  to  be 
classed  with  Nero,  Tiberius,  and  Caligula.  Blight  and 
mildew  followed  in  his  track,  and  when  Maximilian 
undertook  to  advance  in  his  footsteps,  in  the  name  of 
Romanism,  he  was  defeated  and  lost  his  head,  and  fair 
Carlotta  became  insane.  Right  only,  in  the  end  can 
prevail. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

FROM    ESPERANZA    TO    THE    STATE    OF    VERA    CRUZ. 

One  could  have  little  desire  to  tarry  long  in  Tlaxcala, 
specially  after  having  seen  the  museum,  and  the  church 
of  San  Francisco.  Our  course  was  reversed  as  soon  as 
convenient,  returning  to  our  palace  cars,  and  then  speed- 
ing eastward  to  Esperanza,  situated  on  the  flank  of 
Orizaba  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  and  nearly 
eleven  thousand  feet  beneath  his  summit.  As  we  were 
approaching  the  grand  old  mountain,  he  cast  down  upon 
us  a  setting  sun-glow,  equal  to  the  finest  ever  enjoyed  in 
the  valley  of  Chamouny,  or  Martigny  among  the  Alps. 
It  takes  lofty  snow,  a  peculiar  atmosphere,  and  the  depart- 
ing sunlight,  to  produce  such  a  coloring  as  Titian  or 
Leonardo  was  unable  to  put  upon  the  canvas. 

A  clearer  sky  never  hung  over  a  picturesque  country 
than  that  which  brooded  over  Esperanza  through  the 
night.  While  the  stars  were  shining,  the  Southern  Cross 
gave  warm  welcome  to  northern  eyes  which  were  open  to 
see.  As  the  sun  flecked  the  morning  sky,  and  shot  down 
gold  and  silver  from  the  crown  of  Orizaba,  the  ground 
around  sparkled  with  frost  crystals.  As  we  went  out,  the 
air  was  crisp,  and  there  was  creaking  under  the  shoes  as 
we  walked  the  platform  and  the  frozen  ground.  The  four 
famous  mountains  that  have  been  looking  down  upon  us 
16 


226  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

for  days  past,  were  still  giving  us  their  greeting  with 
many  others  of  less  altitude.  Oh,  the  mountains  are  the 
striking  delight  of  the  earth !  How  they  temper  the 
climate,  and  coax  the  clouds  from  an  invisible  realm, 
inducing  them  to  drop  refreshment  upon  the  parched  and 
thirsty  earth.  Then  their  sides  represent  the  different 
zones,  producing  the  vegetation  of  all  climates.  They  are 
the  loftiest  expression  of  the  sublime.  How  they  came 
to  be,  we  cannot  say ;  God  spake,  and  they  were  !  Feb- 
ruary twenty-sixth,  we  were  to  descend  from  the  table- 
lands to  the  hot  regions.  It  had  been  said  that  the  trip 
would  surpass  anything  thus  far  experienced  in  Mexico. 
I  felt  that  if  it  were  to  outvie  the  descent  from  San  Luis 
Potosi  to  Tampico,  it  would  be  marvellously  thrilling.  I 
had  often  read  strange  things  of  the  route,  how  travellers 
had  come  from  the  Alps,  the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  and 
even  from  the  Himalayas,  to  ride  over  this  road  of  daring 
engineering  and  wondrous  scenery,  and  having  done  so, 
they  had  quite  exhausted  their  vocabulary  of  adjectives  in 
expressing  their  surprise  and  feelings,  beholding  the  work 
and  the  scenery.  I  had  learned  how  the  construction 
of  the  road  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  capital  city  had  taken 
thirty-five  years.  It  was  far  more  difficult  to  build  than 
Napoleon's  road  over  the  Simplon  Pass,  or  the  railroad 
over  the  Saint  Gothard  route. 

An  engine  of  twice  the  capacity  of  an  ordinary  one  is 
to  draw  and  hold  our  train.  In  due  time,  the  call  goes 
round,  "All  is  in  readiness,"  and  for  a  few  minutes  there 
is  bustling  and  hastening  in  leaving  the  Pullman  cars,  and 


ESPERANZA  TO  STATE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.   227 

going  to  the  train  bound  for  Vera  Cruz.  Soon  all  are 
comfortably  seated,  the  whistle  blows,  the  bell  strikes,  the 
ponderous  engine  puffs,  and  we  move  onward.  Soon  the 
mountains  come  closer  together,  the  valleys  and  grooves 
down  their  sides  exhibit  the  effects  of  glacial  action.  The 
dip  of  the  ledges  is  mostly  perpendicular,  being  composed 
of  limestone,  trap-rock,  granite,  and  lava.  Pine,  cotton- 
wood,  spice,  oak,  and  other  species  of  trees  clothe  the 
mountain  sides.  The  railroad  track  zigzags  down  the 
declivities,  passing  every  now  and  then  through  tunnels, 
and  along  the  brinks  of  terrific  chasms.  It  is  dashing  out 
of  sight  and  into  the  fullest  view  of  Orizaba.  He  seems  to 
be  swaying  his  sceptre  like  a  heroic  knight,  bidding  our 
train  go  here  and  there,  that  we  might  catch  the  fairest 
views,  and  be  surprised  at  the  most  exciting  prospects. 

The  drop  to  the  mile  is  said  to  be  on  an  average  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  feet ;  we  can  feel  perceptibly  the 
descent  as  we  move  along  ;  in  many  places  the  track  is  cut 
shelf-like  into  the  mountain  sides.  What  a  piece  of 
engineering  it  was  to  hang  this  road  along  jagged  rocks 
and  over  yawning  precipices  !  It  often  renders  us  giddy 
to  gaze  into  the  fearful  depths.  Should  the  train  leap  the 
track,  what  an  inevitable  fall  there  would  be,  down,  down 
thousands  of  feet !  It  is  soothing  to  recall,  when  thus 
oppressed,  the  current  report  that  no  accident  has  oc- 
curred on  this  road  since  the  cars  began  to  run.  The  rag- 
ged walls  to  which  the  track  is  often  wired  spider-web 
fashion,  are  hung  with  abundant  growth  of  flowers,  iungles 
of  ferns,  tangles  of  morning-glories,  webs  of  ivy,  and 


228  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

patches  of  rhododendrons,  bending  so  close  to  the  car 
windows  as  almost  to  touch  them.  As  we  whirl  on  criss- 
cross, there  appears  to  be  no  end  to  the  abundance  and 
variety  of  plants  which  come  to  view  ;  here  is  a  whole 
cluster  of  white  panicles  like  our  lilacs,  and  there  are 
umbels,  racemes,  spikes,  and  capitula,  of  the  greatest 
diversity  of  colors;  and  then  as  we  look  into  the  top  of 
trees,  what  delicate  and  charming  orchids  shake  their 
scarlet  and  golden  blossoms  so  invitingly  as  we  pass  them  ! 
If  our  train  would  stop  but  for  a  minute,  how  we  could 
and  would  pluck  them  ! 

The  bees  and  butterflies  are  thick  among  the  blossoms. 
I  do  not  see  them  in  swarms  as  I  did  the  bees  among  the 
heather  bloom  on  the  side  of  the  Lebanon  mountains,  or 
the  butterflies,  as  in  Ceylon  when  they  were  making  their 
annual  flight  from  the  land  to  the  sea;  they  were  so 
numerous  as  to  becloud  the  sun  from  us  for  some  little 
time.  We  do  rejoice  when  the  train  halts  at  La  Bota  to 
supply  the  engine  with  water,  giving  the  passengers  the 
opportunity  to  step  out  of  the  cars,  looking  up  to  the 
towering  heights  encircling  them,  and  down  into  the  val- 
leys which  are  cleared  and  cut  up  into  fields  and  dotted 
with  cabins.  It  is  a  question,  whether  the  train  stopped 
so  much  for  water,  as  it  did  to  give  us  a  chance  for  an 
uplook,  an  outlook,  and  a  downlook.  To  say  the  least, 
the  afforded  enjoyment  beggars  all  description.  To 
have  the  views  and  feel  them,  vouchsafes  a  lasting  joy. 

Indian  men  and  women,  boys  and  girls,  were  here  the 
instant  we  stepped  from  the  cars,  yet  there  is  no  village 


MOUNT  ORIZABA,  FROM  "THE  DEVIL'S  BALCONY." 


230  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

within  miles;  whence  they  came  is  a  mystery,  nevertheless 
they  are  here  with  any  quantity  of  orchids  for  sale.  They 
climbed  and  plucked  from  the  nooks  and  crotches  of  the 
trees  t'hese  air  plants ;  many  of  their  blossoms  are  exquis- 
itely beautiful ;  we  can  buy  for  a  few  cents  what  would 
cost  as  many  dollars  in  New  York  city.  After  being 
resplendently  regaled  and  surfeited  with  bouquets,  we 
step  aboard  and  are  again  on  the  move,  and  soon  pass 
through  a  long  tunnel,  coming  out  upon  an  extended 
bridge  spanning  a  broad,  deep  chasm,  and  when  upon  its 
centre  the  train  stops  to  grant  the  passengers  the  privi- 
lege to  scan  the  up-reaching,  yawning  gorge,  receiving  at 
the  same  time  beautiful  and  awful  pictures,  and  then  to 
gaze  down  the  terrific  abyss,  to  be  overwhelmed  with  the 
tremulously  sublime,  and  overwhelmingly  appalling.  Less 
than  two  miles  in  a  straight  line  far  below  us  is  the  vil- 
lage of  Maltrata,  but  our  train  must  make  twelve  miles  to 
reach  it.  As  we  come  to  the  station,  the  barometer  gives 
information  that  we  have  dropped  two  thousand,  four 
hundred  and  forty-three  feet  since  leaving  Esperanza,  a 
distance  of  sixteen  miles.  Ah!  the  Indians  that  we  left 
at  La  Bota,  and  many  others,  are  here  with  orchids  to 
sell.  They  are  so  cheap  and  attractive  that  the  tourists 
pucrhase  more  than  they  really  want. 

The  natives  are  not  large  in  size,  but  straight  as  an 
arrow,  and  seem  to  be  very  kindly  disposed.  Most  of  them 
make  a  living  by  cultivating  the  soil.  The  improved  fields 
would  imply  that  they  are  industrious ;  their  farming 
implements  are  a  hundred  years  behind  the  times  ;  their 


ESPERANZA    TO    STATE    OF    VERA    CRUZ.        231 

small  houses  are  made  out  of  wood  and  stone,  and  roofed 
with  red  tiling.  We  are  now  in  a  deep  valley  from  one  to 
three  miles  wide,  whose  soil  is  deep  and  rich  for  growing 
corn,  wheat,  and  cotton.  A  river  from  the  mountains  runs 


ATOYAC  FALLS. 


through  it,  which  must  overflow  the  intervals  in  flood-time. 
As  we  go  on,  the  descent  is  still  rapid,  and  we  soon  enter 
the  canon  and  pass  just  above  the  "  Infernillo,"  meaning 
the  little  hell ;  in  this  instance  it  is  burning  hot  out  of  the 


232 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


fearful  place,  and  away  down  in  the  depths 
is  foaming  water,  instead  of  seething  flames. 
If  one  could  only  be  let 
__.  down  gently  into  its  wa- 
3  ters,  it  would  be  a  pleas- 
ant experience  to  tarry 
there  at  least  for  an 
hour.  Crossing  a  bridge 
that  is  one  hundred  and 
forty  feet  above  the  bot- 
tom of  the  precipice,  we 
go  through  another  long 
tunnel  and  come  out  into 
the  fairest  valley  of  cas- 
cades ;  the  views  are  now 
captivating,  and  while 
being  satiated  with  land- 
scape pictures,  we  enter  the  city  of  Orizaba,  which  is  on 
the  rim  of  tropic  lands.  The  barometer  shows  that  since 
leaving  Esperanza  we  have  descended  forty-one  hundred 
feet. 

A  glance  at  this  old  city  of  sixteen  thousand  inhab- 
itants, reminds  me  in  a  striking  manner  of  Domo  D'  Ossola, 
which  is  among  the  foothills  of  the  Alps.  It  is  beautiful 
for  situation,  and  like  the  old  Italian  town,  has  long  been 
a  resort  for  summer  visitors.  Its  tile  roofs,  church 
towers  and  steeples  resemble  Italy  more  than  any  town  on 
the  Thames  or  the  Rhine.  The  old  mountains,  after  which 
the  city  was  named,  whose  nomenclature  signifies  moun- 


ENTERING  ORIZABA. 


ESPERANZA    TO    STATE    OF    VERA    CRUZ.       233 

tain  of  the  star,  looms  aloft  in  cloudless  outline.  The 
valley  widens  here,  and  has  a  fine  climate  the  year  round, 
averaging  in  the  summer  seventy-four  degrees  Fahrenheit 
and  in  the  winter  sixty  degrees.  The  scenery  is  that  of 
Alpine  Italy.  Oranges,  lemons,  bananas,  flourish  here, 
while  sugar-cane,  cotton,  and  tobacco  are  produced,  and 
rival  those  of  any  other  part  of  the  world.  In  this  state, 
cotton  is  more  prolific  than  in  any  other  division  of  Mexico, 
yielding  about  two  thousand  pounds  to  the  acre,  while  the 
yield  in  South  Carolina  is  not  half  as  much.  Sugar  can 
be  produced  much  cheaper  than  in  Texas  or  Louisiana. 
Water  seems  to  be  the  only  enrichment  the  soil  demands. 
In  perambulating  the  town  there  is  noth- 
ing strange,  or  surprisingly  novel 
to  be  seen.  The  parish 
church,  San  Miguel,  and 
the  city  hall  are  hand- 
some buildings  of  stone. 
It  is  evident  that  earth- 
quakes have  occasionally 
shaken  the  city,  judging 
from  the  spires  and  tow- 
ers that  are  out  of  plumb. 
The  Indians  far  outnum- 
ber the  Creoles  and  the 
Spaniards.  The  people 
look  healthy,  and  do  not 
become  gray  till  they  are 
far  the  other  side  of  fifty  RIO  BLANCO  RIVER. 


234 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


years  old.  Their  eyes  are  spark- 
ling black,  and  their  teeth  pearly 
white.  The  better  class  are  usually 
interested  in  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion ;  they  give  their  children 
more  schooling  than  do  other  cit- 
ies. The  citizens  are  characterized 
by  their  suavity  and  politeness  ; 
no  doubt,  this  is  due,  in  a  meas- 
ure, to  the  many  visitors  to  the 
city  from  abroad. 

Some  of  the  front  yards  exhibit 
a  fine  display  of  roses  and  lilies, 
and  the  campus  by  the  depot  is 
really  a  small  paradise  of  beau- 
ties. In  the  enclosure  of  one  of 
the  churches,  I  saw  a  tulipan  tree 
wholly  ablaze  with  scarlet  blos- 
soms. Most  of  the  trucking  is 
done,  as  in  Turkish  towns,  on  the  backs  of  burros,  and 
men  ;  their  ancestors  were  accustomed  to  do  thus,  and 
they  seem  bound  to  do  as  their  fathers  did. 

Orizaba  has  been  a  strategic  point  between  the  Gulf 
and  the  City  of  Mexico.  General  Bazaine  held  his  army 
here  for  some  time,  and  the  French  army  stopped  here 
waiting  for  Maximilian  much  longer  than  the  people  were 
pleased  to  have  it.  It  was  expected  that  the  emperor 
would  abdicate  his  assumed  throne  and  return  to  Austria; 
but  on  his  arrival  and  consultation  with  the  French  gen- 


- 
CITIZEN  OK  ORIZABA. 


ESPERANZA  TO  STATE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.   235 


eral,  he  was  led  to  believe  that  on  the  return  of  the  French 
army  to  Paris,  Napoleon  III  would  be  induced  to  send 
in  some  way  relief  to  the  would-be  emperor.  So  Max- 
imilian repaired  to  an  inviting  village  two  miles  south  of 
Orizaba  where  he  tarried  till  discouraged  in  waiting  for 
assistance  from  Napoleon  and  Pius  the  Ninth.  It  must 
now  have  been  a  sore  regret  that  he  did  not  embark 
on  the  vessel  which  was  in  readiness  to  bear  him  away  in 
safety.  He  was  inclined  to  do  so,  but  his  aristocratic 
feelings  and  education  forbade  it ;  then  the  priests  and 
church  party  entreated  him  to  remain  ;  and,  most  of  all, 
his  beloved  Carlotta  besought  him  to  hold  to  the  throne, 
assuring  him  that  in  the  end  he  would  be  triumphant. 
Away  she  went  across  the  sea,  daring  greatest  dangers, 
and  even  prepared  to  die 
for  the  sake  of  her  hus- 
band, if  that  would  insure 
his  success.  Back  to  the 
City  of  Mexico  he  went, 
then  to  Queretaro,  where 
he  fell  a  deluded  martyr 
to  his  unjust  cause,  and 
Carlotta  became  so  heart- 
broken because  of  her 
failures  before  the  French 
emperor  and  the  pope, 
that  she  lost  her  mind 
and  was  forced  into  an 
asylum.  OUR  PARTY  BUYING  FRUIT. 


236 


MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 


AT  THE  STATION. 


Proceeding  from 
Orizaba,  we  surely 
find  ourselves  in 
tropical  heat.  Fields 
of  sugar-cane,  pine- 
apples, mangoes , 
and  pomegranates 
abound  ;  now  and 
then,  thick  jungles 
put  in  their  appear- 
ance, where  pose  wild  game,  and  venomous  reptiles.  Our 
descent  is  still  rapid  ;  at  length  we  are  running  along  the 
brink  of  the  Rio  Metlac  river,  which  is  far  below  us,  and 
in  one  instance  a  thousand  feet.  In  old  Roman  times  of 
great  road-building,  they  would  not  have  dreamed  of  any 
such  engineering  as  was  required  to  stretch  this  road 
across  such  a  threatening  gorge.  It  was  refreshing  in 
this  hot  climate  to  see  dashing  water,  though  hundreds  of 
feet  below  us.  The  so-called  Iron  Gates  along  the  Dan- 
ube river  look  like  boys'  play,  contrasted  with  the  match- 
less undertaking  of  bridging  this  almost  fathomless  gulf. 
Fairly  across  the  river,  a  stop  is  made,  to  let  all  who 
may  wish  go  out  a  short  distance,  through  an  ambrosial, 
but  artificial  avenue,  to  witness  a  water-fall  of  remarkable 
beauty.  It  was  a  decided  comfort  to  be  in  the  deep 
shade  and  see  and  hear  the  roar  of  the  tumbling  tide. 
The  ferns  drooping  from  the  rocks,  and  the  orchids  wav- 
ing their  plumes  at  every  gust  of  wind,  did  impart  a  cool- 
ing influence.  Were  I  to  live  in  this  climate,  I  would 


ESPERANZA    TO    STATE    OF    VERA    CRUZ.       237 

wish  to  dwell  in  some  dell,  where  I  could  hear  the  rushing 
water  beat  against  huge  stones. 

When  back  at  the  train,  advancing  we  soon  discover 
the  domes  and  towers  of  Cordova,  rising  among  tall, 
umbrageous  trees,  and  in  a  few  moments  more  the  brakes 
hold  us  fast  at  the  station.  As  we  go  out,  it  seems 
scarcely  possible  that  so  great  a  change  as  we  experience 
could  take  place  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours.  There  is 
no  likeness  between  Esperanza  and  Cordova.  It  appears 
almost  as  though  we  had  got  into  a  new  world.  We  are 
now  two  hundred  miles  from  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  less 
than  sixty  miles  from  the  Gulf,  being  in  the  central  part  of 
the  state  of  Vera  Cruz. 

Palm  trees  are  spreading  their  fronded  tops  over  us  to 
shield  us  from  the  piercing  sunlight,  as  we  go  towards  the 
city  of  seven  thousand  inhabitants.  How  nature  adapts 
man  to  different  conditions,  making  him  a  cosmopolite, 
so  that  it  is  possible  for  him  to  dwell  on  arctic  snow,  or 
on  torrid  sand.  The  houses  of  the  peons  are  frail  affairs, 
made  out  of  bamboo  standards,  covered  with  cornstalks 
and  thatched  with  palm  leaves,  having  conical-shaped 
roofs  to  shed  the  rain.  The  dooryards  are  shared  in  com- 
mon by  pigs,  chickens,  turkeys,  and  children.  The  folk 
are  dressed  in  white  cotton,  and  wear  broad-brimmed 
straw  hats.  They  move  about  as  if  they  had  little  con- 
cern about  yesterday,  to-day,  or  to-morrow.  The  town 
looks  as  if  it  had  been  recently  shipped  from  the  oldest 
quarter  of  the  world.  Fruit-venders  flock  about  us  with 
oranges,  pine-apples,  bananas,  and  mangoes  to  sell.  The 


238  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

supply  must  be  greater  than  the  demand,  and  so  two 
oranges  are  sold  for  a  cent,  and  other  fruit  equally  cheap. 
It  cannot  cost  the  natives  much  to  live,  for  everything 
here  needful  to  support  life  comes  so  easy;  they  ought  to 
make  money  and  rejoice  in  work,  because  of  the  sure 
compensation ;  still  they  act  as  though  time  dragged 
slowly,  and  that  they  would  be  glad  to  have  somebody 
breathe  for  them. 

Coffee,  sugar,  and  cotton  are  the  staple  products.     We 
visit  a  mill  where  the  natives  are  crushing  out  the  sweet 


A  SUGAR  MILL. 

nectar  from  sugar-cane  by  the  means  of  heavy  iron  rollers, 
and  then  boiling  it  down  to  thick  syrup,  run  it  into  pound 
cups,  and  when  cool,  sell  it  for  three  cents  a  pound. 

Coffee  grows  from  the  coast  far  up  towards  the  table- 
lands ;  it  requires  plenty  of  shade,  heat,  and  moisture,  so 
the  plants  are  set  among  palms  and  other  trees,  beginning 


ESPERANZA  TO  STATE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.   239 

to  bear  the  third  or  fourth  year.  The  pioductive  tree 
blooms  annually  three  times,  but  the  first  and  second 
blossoms  are  picked  off,  allowing  the  third  only  to  yield 
fruit.  The  plant  often  grows  to  be  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
feet  high,  but  for  the 
most  part  they  are  cut 
back  and  not  allowed 
to  exceed  eight  feet 
in  height.  The  leaves 
are  oblong,  hardy,  and 
contain  the  poison 
known  as  caffeine. 

The  flowers  are  white, 

COFFEE  PLANTATION. 
fragrant,  and  grow  in 

clusters.  A  coffee  tree  in  bloom  is  exceedingly  beautiful. 
The  fruit  is  red,  or  has  a  cherry-purple  surface,  enclos- 
ing a  yellowish  pulp,  in  which  are  usually  two  seeds. 
When  the  outside  assumes  a  darkish  red  color,  and  the 
skin  shrivels  somewhat,  the  coffee  is  ready  for  picking. 

The  coffee  is  now  being  gathered  and  laid  in  the  sun 
to  dry,  and  after  a  few  days  it  will  be  pressed  under 
rollers  to  free  it  from  husks,  and  then  the  real  seeds  will 
be  further  dried  in  the  shade,  so  as  not  to  lose  the  aroma. 
If  the  coffee  fields  were  as  well  cared  for  as  they  are  in 
Ceylon  and  Mocha,  and  the  seed  as  well  cured,  the  peo- 
ple would  excel  the  rest  of  the  world  in  raising  coffee. 

The  bananas  are  of  excellent  quality,  and  furnish  most 
of  the  food  for  the  lower  classes.  They  grow  upon 
annual  plants,  from  six  to  ten  feet  tall,  with  broad  leaves 


240 


MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 


at  the  top  of  the  plants,  and  out  of  this  cluster  of  leafage 
an  acorn-shaped  bud  is  developed,  which  hangs  suspended 
by  a  strong  stem ;  at  length,  the  bud-leaves  unfold  and 
drop  off,  leaving  a  cluster  of  young  fruit,  which  gradually 
enlarges,  till  at  harvest  there  are  from  seventy-five  to  one 
hundred  bananas.  After  this,  the  stalk  droops  and  dies  to 

the  ground,  and  sprouts 
come  forth  to  produce  a 
new  crop.  The  peon  here 
may  gather  a  harvest  four 
times  each  year  in  a  sum- 
mer atmosphere. 

We  find  little  of  special 
interest  in  the  sweltering 
city,  till  we  come  to  a 
magnificent  garden,  but 
a  short  distance  from 
the  market.  It  is  crowded 
with  a  luxuriant  growth 
of  flowers,  fruits,  and  fol- 
iage, being  so  thick  as 
to  darken  the  many  ave- 

THE  TROPICS.  nues  leading  in  different 

directions  to  seats,  foun- 
tains, and  band-stands.  It  is  a  much-frequented  place, 
and  has  come  to  be  regarded  as  a  veritable  elysium.  In 
this  garden,  birds  of  all  sizes  and  of  beautiful  plumage 
are  plentiful.  Humming-birds,  butterflies  of  all  sizes  and 
colors,  as  well  as  countless  insects,  thrive  here. 


ESPERANZA    TO    STATE    OF    VERA    CRUZ.       24! 

The  rancheros  of  the  hot  region  usually  work  from  five 
o'clock  in  the  morning  to  eleven,  and  from  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  to  seven.  Somehow  the  climate  appears 
to  take  the  vim  out  of  them,  making  them  willing  to  lie 
still,  unless  there  is  a  good  chance  for  hunting,  for  which 
they  have  a  decided  liking;  they  know  just  the  lair  in 
which  to  search  for  the  wild  boar,  or  to  start  up  the  deer, 
or  to  track  the  untamed  turkey.  The  rivers  and  indenta- 
tions along  the  coast  are  well  supplied  with  fish  and  tur- 
tles. Scarcely  any  of  the  common  people  can  read  or 
write,  and  when  they  think  of  marrying,  they  are  obliged 
to  bestir  themselves  in  memorizing  a  portion  of  the  cate- 
chism. 

But  few  foreigners  can  long  endure  this  climate ;  the 
malaria,  the  poisonous  insects  and  reptiles,  are  certain  to 
prove  more  than  a  match  for  them.  Distance  may  lend 
charms  to  this  surfeiting  of  flowers  and  luxuriant  vegeta- 
tion, but  when  one  comes  to  dwell  in  their  midst,  and 
experience  the  excessive  heat  and  the  extra  collaterals,  he 
soon  wearies  of  them,  and  deserts  them,  if  it  is  possible 
to  do  so.  Often  have  I  heard  Englishmen  and  Scotch- 
men, dwelling  in  India  or  Egypt,  bitterly  complain  of  the 
incessant  hot  weather,  and  wish  themselves  back  in  their 
native  land.  They  would  often  say,  "Give  us  any  other 
land  for  a  home  rather  than  one  of  constant  summer." 

Take  a  typical  New  England  family,  in  which  the  father 
has  been  accustomed  to  rise  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing the  year  round.  The  wife  and  mother  has  been  sure 
to  have  breakfast  ready  at  six  o'clock.  The  boys  have 


242  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

been  equal  to  a  long  string  of  chores  night  and  morning, 
and  hard  work,  or  attending  school,  during  the  day.  The 
girls  have  been  up  and  dressed  by  candle-light,  or  before 
sunrise  in  the  longest  days.  As  father  comes  in  at  the 
precise  hour,  all  sit  down  to  breakfast  by  candle-light  in 
the  winter  and  at  early  sunrise  in  the  summer,  happy  on 
leaving  the  table,  and  full  of  expectancy  for  the  day ;  the 
parents  hastening  to  their  work,  and  the  children  to  theirs, 
with  no  abatement  save  a  short  nooning.  Then,  as  night 
is  approaching,  it  is  tying  up  the  cattle  and  bringing  in 
the  wood,  feeding  the  hens  and  the  swine,  and  making 
ready  for  the  night.  At  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the 
family  is  wont  to  sit  down  to  supper,  conscious  of  active, 
onerous  duties  done.  When  this  meal  is  over,  dishes  are 
to  be  washed,  apples  to  be  pared,  clothes  to  be  mended, 
accounts  to  be  recorded,  at  seasons  lessons  to  be  learned, 
and  at  half-past  nine,  wearied  and  worn,  they  retire,  yet 
thoughtful  and  hopeful  as  to  the  morrow.  Sleep  is  sweet, 
and  too  sound  for  dreams,  still  at  the  first  cock-crowing 
they  are  out  of  bed,  and  are  soon  hard  at  work  again ;  and 
thus  it  goes  on,  day  after  day,  and  year  after  year.  The 
good  air,  the  sunshine,  pure  water,  and  busy  work  are 
developing  the  children  into  noble,  active  men  and 
women.  They  promise  to  make  their  parents'  places 
more  than  good.  They  are  not  living  for  ease,  but  for 
growing  character.  The  neighbors  and  friends  recognize 
it  as  a  sterling  family.  Yet,  I  venture  to  say,  transplant 
this  family  to  the  tropical  climate  and  luxuriant  soil  of 
Mexico,  that  in  less  than  three  decades,  should  the  mem- 


ESPERANZA  TO  STATE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.   243 

bers  survive  pestilence  and  contagious  disease,  they  would 
lose  their  elastic  step,  the  nimble  movement  of  the  hand, 
the  sharp  glance  of  the  eye,  and  the  pleasant,  expressive 
tone  of  voice. 

Perchance,  the  father  and  mother  would  not  have  lost 
all  their  force  of  early  habits,  but  their  children  would ; 
they  might  not  smoke,  but  their  children  would ;  they 
might  not  lounge  and  lie  about,  at  least  half  of  the  time, 
but  their  children  would. 

Really,  what  a  retrogression !  What  a  loss  in  capacity 
of  mind  and  soul !  With  them,  in  such  a  condition,  it 
would  not  be  living,  but  simply  staying.  All  their  natu- 
ral and  cultured  graces  would  not  be  sufficient  to  with- 
stand the  power  of  excessive  heat  and  luxury. 

Now  this  waking,  morning  after  morning,  to  bright 
skies,  may  for  a  time  seem  deliciously  sweet,  but  let  it 
continue  without  any  break  for  months,  and  its  monotony 
must  become  disintegrating  to  the  character  of  man.  He 
covets  change  and  diversity  ;  he  must  experience  heat  and 
cold,  joy  and  sorrow,  to  become  rounded  out  into  a  full 
man.  Therefore,  I  feel  to  affirm  that  our  New  England 
climate,  compounded  with  its  heat  of  summer  and  cold  of 
winter;  with  its  winds  from  the  mountains  and  the  storms 
from  the  sea ;  with  its  long  days  and  short  nights,  its  long 
nights  and  short  days,  has  decided  superiority  over  that 
of  Mexico,  Cuba,  or  India.  The  hot  caresses  of  a  tropi- 
cal atmosphere  will  in  the  course  of  time  waste  the  vital 
energy  and  consume  the  nobility  of  true  manhood  and 
womanhood. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

OBSTACLES    OVERCOME. 

A  legend  tells  of  a  pilgrim  once  wandering  through 
this  land,  who,  as  he  was  passing  a  prison-castle  over- 
looking a  charming  landscape,  heard  a  voice  coming  from 
a  barred  window,  saying  emphatically,  "  How  beautiful ! 
How  beautiful !  "  Thus  with  dwellers,  or  tourists  in  this 
land,  they  have  been  wont  to  revel  in  its  delights,  and 
often  been  forced  to  exclaim,  beautiful,  beautiful !  This 
has  been  the  proem  and  peroration  of  all  declaimers,  his- 
torians, and  essayists  concerning  it.  The  muse  of  her 
poets  has  not  failed  to  sing  of  her  cerulean  skies,  majes- 
tic mountains,  deep  dells,  glassy  lakes,  extensive  forests, 
grand  waterfalls,  and  inexhaustible  treasures  of  gold,  sil- 
ver, and  precious  stones.  Her  novelists  have  woven  into 
their  imaginative  warp  and  woof  much  of  the  physical  con- 
ditions of  their  country,  making  it  to  surpass  all  others  in 
beauty  and  sublimity.  Priest  and  layman  extol  it  as  a  fairy 
land.  In  spite  of  persecutions  and  appalling  revolutions  the 
natives  have  clung  to  it  with  a  tenacious  fondness.  Even 
foreign  missionaries,  after  a  few  years'  experience  in  it 
amidst  sorest  trials,  are  prone  to  become  so  wedded  to  it, 
as  to  long  to  work  and  die  within  its  limits.  Mexicans 
seldom  emigrate  to  other  lands.  I  know  this  is  somewhat 
true  of  the  natives  among  the  Alps,  the  dwellers  on  the 


OBSTACLES    OVERCOME.  245 

Lebanon  mountains,  and  the  Nepaulese  living  under  the 
shadows  of  Everest.  Grandest  elevations  and  deepest 
depressions  are  profound  enchanters  ! 

Because  of  material  allurements,  we  often  fail  to  exam- 
ine, and  therefore  to  appreciate,  mental  and  moral  condi- 
tions. Outward  poetry  and  sentiment  often  blind  eyes 
against  discovering  the  innerly  and  the  intrinsic.  Thus 
it  has  been  with  Mexico,  particularly  since  the  Spanish 
invasion.  Its  purpose  was,  first,  to  gain  immense  treas- 
ures of  gold  and  silver ;  second,  to  achieve  this  end  by 
the  spread  of  Romanism  ;  third,  to  secure  a  large  stipend 
to  Spain.  Cortez  and  his  allies  evidently  felt  that  such 
an  end  was  to  be  attained  by  reducing  the  natives  to 
slavery,  and  demolishing  their  civilization  and  religion. 
As  the  Mexicans  were  overcome,  they  were  divested  of 
their  lands  and  property,  and  these,  as  spoils,  were 
divided,  and  put  into  the  possession  of  a  few  lords  and 
soldiers.  As  Spanish  rule  and  religion  were  at  once 
instituted,  the  Castilian  was  made  the  legal  language  of 
court  and  church ;  for  twenty  years  no  printing  was 
allowed  to  be  done  in  the  country ;  all  printed  documents 
during  that  time  came  from  Spain.  Cortez  and  his 
friends  aimed,  it  would  seem,  to  make  out  the  Aztecs  to 
be  as  bad  as  possible,  thinking  this  would  be  a  sufficient 
excuse  in  the  judgment  of  the  world  for  treating  them 
with  harshest  severity.  The  Spaniards  affirmed  that  the 
natives  were  cruelly  superstitious,  yet  they  themselves 
were  more  so ;  they  described  the  natives  as  licentious 
and  morally  vicious,  in  this  respect  they  surpassed  them ; 


246  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

they  asserted  that  the  natives  were  full  of  treachery,  yet 
they  were  mere  novices  in  this  vice,  compared  to  them- 
selves ;  they  said  the  natives  sacrificed  human  beings, 
and  ate  their  flesh,  but  this  practice  wasted  little  human 
blood,  compared  with  the  inquisition,  which  slaughtered 
the  Mexicans  by  the  thousands.  They  represented  Mon- 
tezuma  to  be  an  infuriated  demon,  while  the  truth  is,  he 
was  a  saint  contrasted  with  Cortez. 

After  Cortez,  whoever  was  chief  in  authority  here,  it 
was  clutching  for  gold  in  the  name  of  the  Virgin.  The 
natives  were  forced  to  toil  from  early  morning  till  late  at 
night  for  a  poor  subsistence.  The  children  received  no 
schooling,  further  than  to  learn  a  few  passages  from  the 
catechism.  All  manufactories  were  suppressed  ;  the  com- 
mon people  must  grind  their  corn  for  bread  by  hand  ;  the 
tools  for  cultivating  the  land  must  be  of  the  rudest  make. 
All  manufactured  goods  must  be  purchased  of  Spain,  and 
paid  for  with  gold,  silver,  wheat,  and  cotton  ;  the  land 
was  being  drained  to  enrich  Spain.  Churches  were  be- 
ing built  with  money  filched  out  of  the  pockets  of  the 
very  poor.  Priests  did  not  attempt  to  alleviate  the  wants 
of  the  enslaved,  but  for  the  most  part  increased  their 
burdens.  The  bishops  and  dignitaries  were  created  in 
Spain.  Enormous  salaries  were  paid  those  in  high  sta- 
tions in  state  and  church  ;  these  ranged  from  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars  to  one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  a 
year.  All  the  easy  and  lucrative  benefices  came  into  the 
hands  of  Spaniards ;  only  their  sons,  or  descendants, 
stood  the  least  chance  of  being  promoted  to  honorable 


OBSTACLES    OVERCOME.  247 

stations.  The  curates  that  ministered  to  the  needs  of 
the  commonality  were  poorly  paid,  and,  if  of  Indian  ex- 
traction, they  stood  no  chance  of  being  promoted.  The 
Latin  race  alone  was  to  be  advanced  and  perpetuated  in 
Mexico,  and  the  Spaniards  claimed  to  have  come  from 
that  source. 

As  the  years  rolled  round,  the  Aztecs  could  see  that 
their  race  was  losing  ground,  and  that  their  country  was 
being  shorn  of  its  wealth  and  beauty ;  the  future,  indeed, 
did  look  ominous  to  them.  No  improvement  was  being 
made  in  mining,  cultivating  the  soil,  or  in  household 
affairs  ;  the  adobe  cabin  was  good  enough  for  the  peons. 
The  land  owners  lived  abroad,  or  in  the  large  cities. 
Their  chief  study  was  to  get  the  largest  returns  possible 
from  their  haciendas.  The  peons  could  not  even  own 
the  land  on  which  they  built  their  huts ;  the  best  they 
could  do  was  to  lease  it  for  a  few  years  at  a  time ;  they 
could  not  help  understanding  that  they  were  naught  but 
tools  in  the  grasp  of  merciless  lords. 

During  this  state  of  things,  the  Spaniards  were  pictur- 
ing New  Spain  as  in  a  flourishing  condition.  They  rep- 
resented that  their  main  drawback  was  the  stupidity  and 
obstinacy  of  the  Aztecs.  They  made  startling  preten- 
sions in  various  directions,  and  among  others  was  that 
they  had  founded  a  university  in  the  City  of  Mexico 
which  was  working  wonders  for  the  country ;  but  it  was 
an  institution  more  in  name  than  in  fact.  At  its  best,  it 
was  not  anything  more  than  a  second-rate  academy,  and 
never  had  at  any  one  time  two  hundred  students. 


248  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

When  the  country  was  being  pictured  in  flying  colors 
as  most  prosperous,  an  humble  prelate  in  Dolores  was 
faithfully  serving  his  nation  and  his  parishioners;  he 
comprehended  the  deficiencies,  and  realized  the  demands, 
and  so  was  teaching  his  disciples  not  only  spiritual  things, 
but  how  to  grow  the  grape  and  raise  the  mulberry.  His 
people  were  really  advancing  in  thought  and  physical  cul- 
ture ;  pastor  and  people  were  happy  and  hopeful ;  he  had 
spent  more  than  two  score  years  in  the  Master's  service, 
and  had  reached  the  age  of  sixty. 

As  his  bishop  and  the  Spanish  authorities  ascertained 
what  had  been  done  through  his  purpose  and  assistance, 
they  were  enraged,  and  ordered  the  vines  to  be  pulled  up, 
and  the  trees  to  be  forthwith  cut  down ;  they  had  for- 
bidden anything  to  be  grown  here  that  was  being  pro- 
duced in  Spain,  fearing  lest  this  would  work  against  the 
welfare  of  the  mother  country,  for  she  was  bound  to  be 
served  at  the  expense  of  other  lands. 

Now  this  was  more  than  the  good  priest  Hidalgo  could 
endure,  therefore,  he  rose  in  rebellion,  followed  by  his 
people  and  throngs  of  others  from  different  states,  feel- 
ing that  such  soul-  and  flesh-crushing  reign  must  at  least 
be  stayed.  He  realized  that  for  centuries  his  race  had 
been  under  the  Spanish  harrow,  and  had  been  terribly 
mangled.  He  believed  in  his  innermost  heart  that  God's 
time  had  come  for  an  uprising  of  the  people,  and  a 
breaking  of  tyrannical  bonds.  He  was  fully  prepared  to 
die  for  the  freedom  of  his  race,  and,  in  the  course  of  a 
few  months,  he  did  seal  his  cause  with  his  blood,  which 


OBSTACLES    OVERCOME.  249 

did  graciously  serve  to  nourish  its  roots  and  branches, 
and  in  1821,  just  three  hundred  years  after  Cortez  set  up 
his  standard,  and  so  established  the  dominion  of  Spain 
in  Mexico  in  1521,  was  reared  the  escutcheon  of  Hidalgo, 
inscribed  with  the  eagle  and  cactus,  divine  emblems  of 
the  Aztecs. 

Why,  only  see  that  people,  degraded  by  the  rasping 
influences  of  a  powerful  nation  during  three  centuries  ! 
They  have  no  knowledge  of  grammar,  yet  speaking  as 
many  as  five  different  languages ;  they  have  no  facilities 
for  inter-communication  ;  they  have  no  railroads,  no  tele- 
graphs, not  so  much  as  established  lines  of  postmen,  yet 
they  have  asserted  by  divine  right  their  independence  of 
Spain,  and  declared  their  land  a  republic. 

How  often  it  is  that  men,  when  pushed  to  the  wall,  do 
far  better  than  they  purposed.  For  years  after  Mexico 
had  severed  herself  from  Spain,  her  course  was  a  check- 
ered one.  Political  aspirants  blocked  the  wheels  of 
progress.  The  royalist  Iturbide  pushed  himself  to  the 
front  of  the  government,  who  wrought  first  and  last  for 
himself;  he,  at  length,  was  removed  by  Santa  Anna,  who 
was  crafty,  subtle,  and  wore  as  surely  two  faces  as  did 
the  god,  Janus.  He  was  loved  and  hated  ;  he  was  elected 
to  office  at  one  time,  and  impeached  at  another.  He 
struck  hands  with  our  government,  and  the  result  was 
the  Mexican  war ;  however,  this  was  not  sufficient  cause 
or  grievance  for  that  war,  which  would  not  have  taken 
place  had  it  not  been  for  the  lurking  desire  on  the  part 
of  many  American  citizens  to  have  more  slave  territory- 


250  MEXICO  :     THE    WONDER    LAND. 

This  was  the  secret,  and  so  from  a  slight  pretext  war  was 
declared,  and  our  army  marched  openly  into  the  Aztec 
land,  battling  against  the  enemy  without  treachery,  gain- 
ing victory  after  victory,  and  came  out  of  the  country 
triumphant,  fixing  the  boundary  in  the  treaty  between 
Mexico  and  the  States  along  the  Rio  Grande  river  and 
over  the  Rockies  to  the  Pacific  ocean,  securing  the  gold 
state  to  the  United  States.  History  never  will  crown 
our  nation  with  a  mead  of  honor  for  going  into  that  war  ; 
still,  I  doubt  not  it  was  overruled  for  good  by  a  power 
higher  than  man.  It  was  instrumental  in  dethroning 
Santa  Anna,  and  paved  the  way  for  the  missionary  to 
enter  the  benighted  and  ill-treated  country. 

Strange  to  record,  five  years  after  this,  Santa  Anna 
was  recalled,  but  was  kept  in  power  only  one  year,  for 
during  that  time  he  announced  himself  Permanent  Dic- 
tator with  the  modest  title,  "His  Serene  Highness." 
He  was  speedily  thrust  from  his  highness,  and  the  true 
patriot  Alvarez  was  made  president,  and  he  fortunately 
selected  for  his  secretary  of  judicial,  religious,  and  edu- 
cational affairs  the  Indian,  Benito  Juarez,  a  Christian 
statesman  and  scholar. 

The  first  work  they  attempted  to  do  was  to  draft  a 
constitution  for  the  organization  and  government  of  their 
beloved  land  ;  and  in  the  winter  of  1857,  they  published 
an  instrument  in  the  name  of  God  and  by  the  authority  of 
the  Mexican  people,  which  Mr.  Seward  pronounced  "  to 
be  the  best  instrument  of  its  kind  in  the  world." 

This  constitution  gave  them    a   president,   vice-presi- 


OBSTACLES    OVERCOME.  251 

dent,  a  congress  of  two  branches,  and  a  judiciary  court. 
At  length,  Secretary  Juarez  was  elected  president  by  the 
people.  He  realized  that  the  church,  as  it  was  being 
managed,  was  a  fearful  drain  upon  the  country.  It  was 
filching  from  the  people,  most  of  whom  were  very  poor, 
for  its  support  some  two  million,  five  hundred  thousand 
dollars  annually.  Nearly  one  third  of  the  real  estate  and 
one  half  of  the  fixed  property  connected  with  the  munici- 
palities were  in  the  possession  of  the  church,  amounting 
to  more  than  two  hundred  million  dollars.  He  caused 
all  this  to  be  nationalized,  setting  apart  churches  amply 
sufficient  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  people,  leasing  the 
same,  free  of  expense,  to  church  authorities  for  the  term 
of  ninety-nine  years.  Many  convents,  monasteries,  build- 
ings of  different  religious  orders,  and  the  Inquisition  were 
sold  to  replenish  the  state  treasury.  This  was  a  bold  but 
just  movement,  giving  all  the  right  to  think  and  do  as  an 
enlightened  conscience  might  dictate.  This  immediately 
changed  the  order  of  things  and  breathed  new  life  into 
the  nation.  The  masses  of  the  people  gave  Juarez  hearty 
support.  They  felt  that  they  had  been  priest-ridden,  and 
longed  to  be  set  free  from  any  such  unrighteousness. 

About  this  period,  our  nation  was  being  involved  in  a 
terrific  civil  war.  Some  of  the  great  powers  across  the 
Atlantic  felt,  now  is  the  time  to  demolish  the  republic 
of  Mexico  and  establish  an  empire  in  its  stead.  England, 
France,  and  Spain  combined  to  accomplish  such  a  result. 
These  nations  had  financial  investments  or  loans  in  the 
country :  England  had  nearly  seventy  million  dollars ; 


252  MEXICO:    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

Spain,  ten  million  ;  and  France,  three  million.  At  first 
agents  were  sent  from  these  countries  to  examine  into 
the  financial  status  of  Mexico  and  get  fullest  security  ; 
but  France  at  the  same  time  shipped  seven  thousand  sol- 
diers. This  signified  war  and  opened  the  eyes  of  England 
and  Spain,  and,  as  they  recalled  the  Monroe  treaty,  they 
felt  it  was  best  for  them  to  withdraw  from  the  field  ;  for 
they  could  read  between  the  lines  that  Napoleon  III.  was 
planning  to  get  New  Spain  under  his  control.  Upon  this> 
Napoleon  and  Pio  Nono  induced  Maximilian  to  become 
their  tool,  and  they  commissioned  him  and  his  consort, 
Carlotta,  henceforth,  to  be  the  Emperor  and  Empress  of 
Mexico.  They  were  vain  and  weak  enough  to  accept 
the  ruse.  As  we  have  already  seen,  they  came  to  the 
country  with  the  royal  trappings  of  a  kingly  court  and 
usurped  the  reins  of  government  from  the  hands  of  the 
noble  Juarez  by  martial  prowess,  without  any  leave  or 
let,  so  far  as  the  people  were  concerned.  He  assumed 
at  once  that  the  Mexican  people  were  to  allow  him  for 
his  services  an  annual  salary  of  one  million,  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars ;  five  million  for  the  clergy,  and  thirty 
million  for  military  and  civil  services. 

After  this  manner  was  Maximilian  to  establish  a  Neo- 
politic  and  Romanish  empire,  which  they  anticipated  would 
be  but  the  beginning  of  empires  in  the  New  World.  The 
Emperor  did  become  so  far  established  in  his  new  realm 
as  to  be  recognized  by  Jefferson  Davis,  who  was  at  the 
head  of  the  Confederacy,  and  was  congratulated  by  the 
latter  on  his  eminent  and  successful  attainment. 


MEXICAN    PROGRESS.  253 

But  Maximilian's  career  as  emperor  was  run  in  three 
troublous  years.  How  could  it  have  been  otherwise,  for 
he  had  been  sowing  to  the  wind  with  the  certainty  of 
reaping  the  whirlwind  !  In  his  extremity,  he  was  deserted 
by  his  sworn  friends,  Napoleon  and  Pius  Ninus.  Poor, 
deluded  Maximilian  and  Carlotta  !  His  end  was  lament- 
able, and  her  lot  at  the  castle  of  Miramar  is  heart-rending. 

At  the  close  of  the  French  intervention,  President  Juarez 
was  recalled  from  his  exile  to  preside  over  the  Mexican 
people.  Upon  his  return  and  assuming  authority,  he 
issued  the  succeeding  proclamation  : 

"  Let  the  Mexican  people  fall  on  their  knees  before 
God,  who  has  deigned  to  crown  our  arms  with  victory. 
He  has  afflicted  the  foreigner  who  has  oppressed  us 
sorely.  He  has  established  these,  his  people,  in  their 
rightful  place.  For  He,  who  has  his  habitation  in  the 
heavens,  is  the  visitor  and  protector  of  our  country 
against  him  who  came  to  do  us  ill.  The  excellent,  the 
only  just,  almighty,  and  Eternal  One  is  He  who  hath  dis- 
persed the  nations  which,  like  vultures,  had  fallen  on 
Mexico." 

This  shows  the  man,  grand  and  exalted.  By  his  loy- 
alty and  self-sacrifice,  he  endeared  himself  in  the  hearts 
of  the  people,  as  did  our  beloved  Lincoln,  and  living  and 
dying,  he  gave  new  life  to  his  country. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

MEXICAN    PROGRESS. 

Porferio  Diaz  was  the  successor  to  the  lamented  Juarez, 
a  gifted,  high-minded,  and  cultured  man  of  entire  Aztec 
descent.  He  came  into  the  chair  of  state  because  the 
people  called  him  in  1876,  and  for  most  of  the  time  since, 
he  has  continued  as  president  to  the  gratification  of  the 
Liberals  and  the  best  people.  Since  the  fall  of  Maximil- 
ian great  strides  have  been  made.  At  that  time,  there 
were  less  than  a  hundred  miles  of  railroad  in  the  country, 
while  now  there  are  more  than  seven  thousand  and  many 
more  in  prospect.  Then  only  the  chief  towns  were  wired 
with  telegraphs,  while  now  a  web  of  wires  extend  from 
all  over  the  land  to  the  capital.  Then  but  one  bank  was 
in  the  country,  now  a  score  exist  doing  good  business. 
Then  the  national  debt  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  millions 
of  dollars  was  increasing  yearly,  now  it  is  not  permitted 
to  increase,  and  the  interest  is  promptly  paid.  The  sil- 
ver mines  are  yielding  double  what  they  did  ten  years 
ago.  At  the  present  time,  much  foreign  capital  is  being  in- 
vested in  lands,  mines,  and  factories.  The  drainage  of 
the  City  of  Mexico  has  been  effected  at  an  expense  of 
fifteen  millions  of  dollars,  and  now  it  will  become  one  of 
the  healthiest  cities  on  the  globe. 

President  Diaz  does  not  approve  of  the  bull-fight  or 


MEXICAN    PROGRESS.  255 

the  cockpit,  but  he  does  believe  in  the  public  school. 
The  illiteracy  of  half  a  century  ago  is  disappearing. 
Four  decades  since  the  total  sum  yearly  expended  by  the 
government  for  schools  would  not  have  equalled  ten 
thousand  dollars,  now  it  exceeds  five  millions.  Formerly, 
the  Catholics  took  little  interest  in  general  education, 
further  than  to  have  the  children  memorize  the  catechism, 
but  now  wherever  the  government,  or  a  Protestant  sect, 
establishes  a  school,  they  aim  to  plant  two.  The  presi- 
dent has  been  instrumental  in  having  five  good  normal 
schools  founded  in  different  cities,  which  are  being  well 
patronized,  and  are  sending  out  thoroughly-qualified 
teachers. 

The  separation  of  church  and  state  has  worked  marvels 
for  the  public  school,  and  the  diffusion  of  general  knowl- 
edge. The  children  are  being  taught  to  think,  and  so 
enabled  to  choose  between  right  and  wrong. 

In  the  larger  towns  and  important  cities,  colleges  and 
professional  schools  are  established,  which  are  doing  the 
people  good  service.  The  government  is  also  supporting 
schools  of  law,  medicine,  agriculture,  the  fine  arts,  music, 
and  military  science.  Its  asylums  for  the  blind,  the  deaf 
and  dumb,  and  charitable  institutions  for  the  poor,  are 
numerous  and  commendable. 

The  chief  magistrate  is  a  broad  man,  mentally,  morally, 
and  religiously.  Though  a  Catholic,  he  is  very  friendly 
to  Protestants,  giving  them  cordial  welcome  to  any  part  of 
his  dominion  ;  he  appreciates  the  good  which  they  have 
already  achieved.  He  can  plainly  see  that  the  sixty  con- 


256  MEXICO  :    THE    WONDER    LAND. 

gregations,  the  sixteen  thousand  communicants  with  seven 
thousand  children  in  day  schools,  and  ten  thousand  in 
Sunday-schools,  are  stimulating  the  people  in  the  right 
direction.  Their  books  and  papers,  published  in  the 
native  languages  and  freely  circulated,  are  spreading  in- 
telligence and  enterprise  among  the  common  people ; 
these  are  changing  the  tone  and  character  of  the  news- 
papers of  the  land  ;  although  the  latter  have  not  been 
numerous,  nevertheless,  they  have  been  narrow,  failing  to 
bring  the  most  important  facts  to  the  minds  of  their  read- 
ers. Of  the  fifteen  papers  published  in  the  metropolis, 
only  two  of  them  have  aimed  to  give  the  people  the  news 
of  the  day,  and  these  have  had  but  a  small  circulation  ; 
still  the  daily  journal,  entitled  the  Two  Republics,  printed 
in  English,  together  with  the  mission  papers,  have  effected 
a  radical  change  as  to  what  a  paper  should  be,  and  have 
opened  the  way  for  the  Associated  Press  to  be  published 
in  the  City  of  Mexico,  which  meets  the  heartiest  approval 
of  the  President. 

Another  decided  improvement,  introduced  by  the  mis- 
sions, is  that  of  text-books,  which  are  the  best  published, 
being  beautifully  illustrated,  and  finely  printed  upon  good 
paper,  which  have  proved  most  helpful  to  children  and 
parents.  The  Catholics,  wherever  they  have  had  perfect 
control  of  schools,  have  paid  little  attention  to  text-books. 
Thus  it  was  in  Italy  and  France,  previous  to  the  separa- 
tion of  state  and  church.  The  fact  is,  the  Catholics  have 
provided — comparatively  speaking — few  text-books,  either 
of  a  primary  or  higher  grade :  their  thought  and  interest 


MEXICAN    PROGRESS.  257 

have  run  in  an  entirely  different  channel.  It  was  for- 
merly thus  as  to  school  houses  and  school  rooms.  Why 
should  not  religious  competition,  as  well  as  social  and 
civil,  work  good  results  ? 

President  Diaz  loves  his  race  and  all  the  subjects  of 
his  republic,  and  seems  bound,  so  far  as  it  lies  in  his 
power,  to  have  justice  done  every  one,  whether  high  or 
low,  black  or  white,  pedant  or  savant.  He  is  an  econo- 
mist in  the  highest  sense,  looking  out  not  to  have  his 
subjects  overtaxed,  nor  to  have  the  expenditures  exceed 
the  revenues.  His  own  salary  is  less  than  that  of  the 
president  of  the  United  States,  showing  that  he  is  not 
after  the  spoils  of  office,  but  is  concerned  for  the  welfare 
of  his  country. 

He  expresses  himself  as  very  friendly  to  our  republic. 
The  fact  that  he  is  so  kindly  disposed  to  the  mission- 
aries, who  without  a  single  exception  are  from  the 
States,  is  indubitable  proof  of  his  good-will  towards  our 
nation ;  and  ought  it  not  to  induce  us  in  every  practi- 
cable way  to  reciprocate  all  favors,  and  even  go  so  far  as 
to  return  the  cannon,  the  standards,  in  short  all  the 
plunder  captured  by  our  army  in  the  Mexican  War?  This 
would  be  courteous,  giving  cheer  to  a  struggling  republic 
which  is  deserving  to  live,  and  promises  at  no  distant 
day  to  become  one  of  the  bright  stars  in  the  galaxy  of 
freedom. 

18 


INDEX 


PAGE. 
Alamo  ..........         4 

Atlantida       .          . 18 

Aztec  Market-places       .......        29 

A  Ball  Game 31 

Aguas  Calientes     ........       65 

Around  the  Well 80 

At  Station  of  Villar 86 

An  Indian  Hut       ........       93 

Arrival  at  Queretero       .          .          .          .          .          .          .126 

Around  City  of  Mexico  .          .          .          .          .          .          .166 

Approaching  TIaxcala    .          .          .          .          .          .          .214 

Atoyac  Falls  .          .          .          .          .          .          .          -231 

At  the  Station        ........      236 

Brick-yard     .........        32 

Burros  vying  with  Railroad     .          .          .          .          .          -41 

Bathing  at  Hot  Springs  .......       68 

Bands  of  Music      .          .        --.- —  -      .          .  78 

Baking  Tortillas    .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .82 

Bright  Mornings    .          .    •      .          .          .          .  .          .99 

Boys  in  Alameda  .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .146 

Bull  Ring      .          .          .  .          .          .          .          -174 

Big  Cypresses        .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .183 

Bees,  Butterflies,  and  Blossoms      .....     228 


260  INDEX. 

Chattanooga  .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          2 

Chickamauga         .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          2 

Crescent        .........         2 

Cordilleras  Mountains    .          .          .          .          .          .          .n 

Cortez,  supplanted  the  Old  by  the  New    ....       20 

Cultivation  of  Soil  .......        36 

Cowboys       .........        39 

Chihuahua     .........       43 

Church  of  Chihuahua      ....  .          .       45 

Coffee  Plantation 89 

Cathedral  of  San  Luis  Potosi  .....        76 

Choy  Cave    .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .91 

Congregational  Mission  .          .          .          .          .          .123 

City  of  Mexico       .          .          .          .          .          .  141,  145 

City  of  Mexico  Churches         .          .          .          .          .          .151 

Cathedral  of  Mexico       .          .          .  .          .  152 

Calendar  Stone      .          .          .          .          .          .          .  1 59 

Chac-Mol      .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .161 

Colleges  of  Medicine  and  Mining     .          .          .          .          .164 

Cemeteries    .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .170 

Cadet  Monument  .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .185 

Cypress  Grove       .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .186 

Canes  of  Abiaco    .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .192 

Cholula  Ruins  and  Pyramid    ......     205 

Cortez  at  Cholula  .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .210 

Church  of  San  Francisco         .          .          .          .          .          .218 

Citizen  of  Orizaba          .......     234 

City  of  Orizaba      ....'.  .     233 

Cordova        .........     237 

Coffee  Plantation  ....  .  .     239 

Constitution  of  Juarez     .......     250 

Career  of  Maximilian      .  ....     253 


INDEX.  26l 

Down  the  Mountain  .          .          .  -  .          .          -25 

Drinking  Saloon     .  .          .          .          .         .          .          .       27 

Donkey  Experience  .......       60 

Down  the  Mountains  .  .....       87 

Decree  of  Maximilian  .          .          .          .          .          .          .129 

Dolores  Cemetery  .          .          .          .          .          .          .172 

Descent  to  Vera  Cruz  .......     225 

Empire  City           ...                    .          .          .          .  i 

Experience  in  Chihuahua         ......  44 

Escort  in  City  of  Mexico         .          .          .          .          .  144 

Experience  at  Tlaxcala  .          .          .          .          .          .          .223 

Esperanza     .........  225 

Entering  Orizaba  ........  232 

Effects  of  Spanish  Rule  .......  245 

Federal  City  ........          i 

French  Abh>6 6 

From  Jaral  to  Torreon  .          .          .          .          .          .          .21 

From  1535  to  1821          .......        48 

Funeral  Train        .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .143 

Fashions  in  City  of  Mexico     .          .          .          .          .          .150 

Flower  Girls  .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .151 

Floating  Gardens  .          .          .          .          .          .          .168 

From  City  of  Mexico  to  Puebla       .          .          .          .          .188 

Furnished  House  .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .18 

Galveston      .          .          .  .  .  .  .  .         3 

Good-natured  Creatures  .  .  .  .  .  .10 

Geology  of  Mexico         .  .  *V  .  .  .  .       24 

Going  to  Market  .          .  .  .  .  .  .  -.--    81 

Gathering  Pulque  ........        98 

Guadalajara  .          .          .  .  .  .  .  .  .in 

Grammar  School  .          .  .  .  .122 


262  INDEX. 

General  Post-office,  City  of  Mexico  .          .          .          .158 

Guadalupe,  the  Mexican  Mecca       .          .          .          .  175 

Houston        .........          3 

Having  a  Look       ........       22 

Hacienda       .........        34 

Hacienda  Yard       ........       35 

Hidalgo  and  Monument  .          .          .          .          .          .46 

Horse-car  Ride       .          .          .          .          .          .          .          -57 

Hot  Springs  of  Calientes         ......       67 

How  Silver  Rock  is  Crushed  .          .          .          .          .          .104 

Hospicio,  Guadalajara    .          .          .          .          .          .          .120 

How  Maximilian  came  to  be  here    .          .          .          .          .129 

Humboldt  Honored        .          .          .          .          .          .          .165 

History  of  Cortez  .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .219 

Hidalgo's  Struggles        .......     248 

Irrigation       .          .          .  <•  .          .          .          .          .40 

In  the  Valley  of  Canona          ....  .88 

Image  of  the  Virgin,  dear  to  Cortez  .          .          .          .176 

Jaral .22 

Journalism  in  Mexico     .......     256 

Kicking  Cow         .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .42 

Lookout  Mountain          .......          2 

Liberty  of  the  Swine      .......        28 

Landlords  reside  in  Cities       ......        33 

Lakes  about  City  of  Mexico    .          .          .          .          .          .187 

Museum  of  Antiquities  .......      161 

Markets  in  City  of  Mexico      ...  .165 

Mast  Changed  to  Stone .          ...  179 

Montezuma's  Tree  •          •      181 


INDEX.  263 

Maguey  Fields       .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .190 

Mount  Orizaba  from  "Devil's  Balcony"   .          .  .     229 

Maltrata         .........     230 

Mexican  Progress  .          .          .          .          .         .  .254 

Monumental  City  ........          i 

Mission  Bridge      ........         2 

Mountain  Side       .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .11 

Mexico  .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .11 

Mesquites      .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .25 

Mexican  Wares      .          .          .          .          .          .          .          -3° 

Mexican  Stone       ........       30 

Manufactures  of  Quer£taro      .          .          .          .          .          -35 

Masses  followed  Hidalgo         .  ....       49 

Mexican  Skies       .          .          .          .          .          .          .  51 

Mint  of  Zacatecas  ........       56 

Market  at  Calientes         .          .          .          .          .          .          -7° 

Mound  of  Wheat  ........       74 

Mountain  Scenery  .          .          .          .          .          .          .85 

Mint  of  Guanajuato         .......      105 

Modern  Cart          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .128 

Maximilian's  last  Stand  .          .          .          .          .          .129 

Manchester  City  of  Mexico     .          .          .          .          .          .147 

Museum  City  of  Mexico          .          .          .          .          .          .158 

National  Cemetery  .......          2 

Night  Experience  .  .      __. _  ...       62 

Nearing  the  Tropics  .......       83 

National  Palace     .  .          .          .          .          .          .  157 

National  Museum  .  .          .          .          .          .          .          .158 

National  Art  Gallery  .          .          .          .          .          .          .162 

New  England  Family  in  Mexico      .          .          .          .          .241 

Origin  of  the  Mexicans  .          .....  15-16 

t 


264  INDEX. 

Our  Words.  Atlas  and  Atlantic 18 

On  to  Chihuahua  ........       37 

Old  Streets  and  New  Chapel  .          .          .          .          .          -58 

Orphanage,  Guadalupe  .......       59 

Opal  Venders         .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .126 

Onyx  City     .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .196 

Old  Convent  .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .217 

Our  Party  buying  Fruit  .          .          .          .          .  235 

Obstacles  Overcome       .......     244 

Peidras  Negras      .          .          .  .  .  .  .  .10 

Poor  Man's  Home          .          .  .  .  .  .  .10 

Pyramids  of  Mexico       .          .  .  .  .  .  .19 

Potosi  Station        .          .          .  .  .  .  .  -75 

Pulque  Saloon        .....  .  .      148 

Public  School         .          .          .  .  .  .  .  .163 

Protestant  Missionaries .          .  ...      164 

Palace,  and  Military  Academy  .  .  .  .  .184 

Pulque,  how  made          .         .  .  .  .  .  .191 

Pyramids       .          .          .          .  .  .  .  .  .192 

Puebla           .          .          .          .  .  .  .  .  193 

Plaza  Promenade  .          .          .  .  .  .  .  .196 

President  Diaz  forbids  Bull-fighting  ....     254 


124 

Rio  Grande  River  ........  4 

Ranchmen     .........  34 

Ride  into  the  City           .......  69 

Ride  from  Mafil  to  Guanajuato        .          .          .          .          .  101 

Rubio  Mills 135 

Keforma,  principal  Street        .          .          .          .          .          .180 

Ride  to  Cholula     ........  203 

Rio  Blanco  River           .         .         .         .         .         .         .  233 


INDEX.  265 

Shenandoah  Valley         .          .          .          .          .          .    •  2 

San  Antonio          ........       45 

San  Juan  Mountain         .......         8 

Sombrero      .........         9 

Street  Scene  ........        54 

School  and  College.  Calientes          .....       72 

Stylish  House  in  Tropics        ......       94 

Scenes  in  Guanajuato     .          .          .          .          .          .          .      101 

Strawberry  Eating          .          .          .          .          .          .          .124 

Secretary  Seward  and  Napoleon  III          .          .          .  131 

Statue  of  Hercules  .          .          .          .          .          .          -136 

Sewerage,  City  of  Mexico       .          .          .          .          .  !6s 

Sunday  in  Puebla .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .197 

San  Pueblo  Apetitlan     .          .          .          .          .          .          -213 

Sugar  Mill 238 

Santa  Anna  .........     249 

Separation  of  Church  and  State       .          .          .          .          .     255 

Schools  Generally  .          .          .          .          .          .          .256 

The  Stage     .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .21 

Torreon         .          .          .          .          .          ..          .          -257 

Tramps         .          .          .          .          '.          .          .          .          .42 

The  Mint,  and  Hidalgo  Prison         .....       47 

Tamsopa  River      ........       88 

Taninul  Cave         ........       62 

The  Panteon          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .106 

The  Pope,  and  Napoleon  III  .     —  ^=     .          .          .          -130 
The  City  of  Mexico        .          .          .          .          .          .          .145 

Tramway  in  Mexico       .          .          .          .          .          .          -149 

TheGodMexitl 161 

Tomb  of  Juarez     .          .          .          .          .          .          .          -171 

Tacubaya      .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .  173 

Tropical  Life         ........     240 


266  INDEX. 

Text-books 256 

Visit  to  a  Prison    .          .          .          .          .          .          .  117 

View  at  Tula 138 

Vega  Canal  .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .167 

Vega  Museum        .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .170 

Vision  of  Guadalupe       .          .          .          .          .          .          .176 

Well-to-do  Home  .......         9 

Whence  came  the  Mexicans    .          .          .          .          .          .14 

What  Scholars  say  of  its  Origin      .          .          .          .          .18 

When  did  Cortez  come  to  Mexico  .          .          .          .  19 

Whole  Family        ........       23 

Water  Carriers       .          .          .          .          .          .          .          -55 

Wandering  about  Potosi          ......       78 

"  Whitcomb  Falls"        .......       90 

Washing  out  Silver         .          .          .          .          .          .          .      101 

Where  was  Maximilian  Shot  .          .          .          .          .  133 

Why  did  Napoleon  withdraw  his  Soldiers         .          .          .252 

Zacatecas      .........       53 


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